Photos: Justin Cairns
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Using the strength of a strong start and hat tricks from Anthony Mayes and Colton Huckson, the Soo Eagles went on to fly past the Elliot Lake Vikings 9-1 in a penalty-filled Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League game Saturday at Pullar Stadium.
After winning in Elliot Lake Friday, the Eagles took flight early in this one as they connected three times before the contest was seven and a half minutes old.
Mayes extended a point streak to eight-games with Sault Ste. Marie’s initial tally at 2:15 when he came down the right wing on a two-on-one and wired a short-side shot past Vikings’ starter William Ross.
Next saw Huckson take a down-low feed from Jacob Kelley and promptly pump it in before Darren Mayhew struck shorthanded at 7:22 as he muscled his way around a defender and after going hard to the net lifted in a backhand.
Elliot Lake did get one back a couple of shifts later as Toby Johnson spun and finished off an Alexsander Duguay attempt to beat Soo netminder Dalton Hoornstra.
Still 3-1 Eagles into the middle frame, they clicked again, moments into a man advantage when Huckson lifted one in from up top after some quick passes with Alex Povorozniouk and Harmon Esch.
The home side then saw Mayes left with a yawning cage off a goal-mouth scramble to deposit his second of the night.
More from Mayes saw him notch his third of evening as he fired one past Ross from the right-side moments into a man advantage.
Capping off the home-ice victory in the third, the Soo saw Kelley connect twice, sandwiched around Huckson’s third, in the back half of the session, to finish off the one-sided result.
The three-goal performances by Mayes and Huckson were the first ones of their respective NOJHL careers.
The win raises the Eagles record to 10-5-1-1, while with the loss, the
Vikings fall to 3-9-1-1.
