Game Photos: Northern Exposures
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – An two-goal outburst early in the third period broke open a tie game as the Elliot Lake Red Wings went on to defeat the Espanola Express 4-2 Sunday afternoon in a chippy Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair at Centennial Arena.
The hometown Red Wings got on the board first as Dayton Clarke, who was jammed in front of the net with a couple of other players, got a piece of a Teegan Dumont blast from the right point at 3:46 for his 10th marker of the season.
Getting the tying tally in the middle stanza, Espanola’s James Eng sent a pass across to Jack Thor who was taken down by a Elliot Lake defender before sliding into the net, with the puck, on a play that was deemed to be a good goal.
The Express then took the lead with five minutes to go in the session when Ben Couvier neatly tipped a low Caleb Resch snap shot from just inside the blueline.
Netting the equalizer deep into the second, the Red Wings’ Matthew Shulist fired one from a sharp angle that managed to get through Boivin and in to make 2-2 after two.
Coming out strong in the early stages of the third, Elliot Lake went back in front 66 seconds in as Giovani Moses tapped in a rebound off a rising attempt from Alex Antoine from the left side.
The Red Wings then tacked on another just over a minute later as Shulist was left unmarked and made no mistake from close range for his second of the day in what was the final goal of the contest.
Both goaltenders were busy throughout with Espanola holding a 51-47 edge in shots and saw Smith get the win while Boivin suffered the defeat.