Photos: Justin Cairns
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – A pair of early Samuel Gold goals, and a later assist, helped propel the Soo Eagles to an eventual 7-3 victory over the Espanola Paper Kings Saturday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at Pullar Stadium.
It was the Eagles who picked up the lone goal of the first period, which came late, as they broke out of their own zone with speed that led to a two-on-one where Anden Marceau sent in Gold who went in on Paper Kings’ netminder Logan Vale and made a nice deke to his left before tucking in his ninth of the season at 19:43.
Play in the second stanza saw Gold collect his 10th early as he neatly tipped in a blast from the right point off the stick of C.J. Zaharias.
Espanola answered that at 15:28 thanks to Graydon Guthrie, who extended a point streak to six, as he scooped up a rebound off a Warren Farver attempt and lifted in a backhand past Sault Ste. Marie’s Dalton Hoornstra.
Matching that though before the end of the session, the Soo’s Lucas Caulfield tapped in a cross-crease feed from Gold for his 15th.
In the third, the Eagles added some insurance on a two-man advantage when Logan Stawizynski cranked in a one-timer from the left side after being teed up by Ethan Hoff at 3:40.
Micah Seery then added to the edge midway through the frame as he picked off a clearing attempt off the side boards and skated in before wiring a shot by Vale.
That saw Espanola make a goaltending change as Cameron Millar entered in relief to make his NOJHL debut.
Jason Galante, on a breakaway, and Levi Lux, shovelling in a backhand from the top of the crease, brought the Paper Kings closer.
Countering quickly, the Soo finished it off thanks to Colton Huckson, at even strength from distance through traffic, and Nolan Nemecek, pumping one top shelf via the power play, to seal the deal.
With the win, the Eagles improve to 21-22-2-1 on the year and in defeat, Espanola falls to 24-18-1-3.
