CHELMSFORD, Ont. – The Rayside-Balfour Canadians erupted for eight unanswered second period goals, including four by affiliate player Carson McMillan, to wipe out a tie game as they went on to upend the Soo Eagles 10-2 Tuesday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Chelmsford Arena.
Action in the first frame saw the Canadians collect the lone marker of the stanza as Kyle Liinamaa struck shorthanded at 7:10, notching his team-leading 21st tally of the campaign with an assist going to Alexander Fowke.
Moving on to the middle session, Sault Ste. Marie drew level at 3:47 on Charley Hanewall’s 19th marker of the campaign off a Brendan Blair feed.
However, Rayside-Balfour broke it open from there striking eight times in the session to take a big lead.
McMillan started the barrage with three of the markers in the outburst while Chase Stillman had a pair with Ethan Lavallee and Matthew Dokis-Dupuis supplying singles, which resulted in the Eagles opting to replace starter Alex Allison in favour of back-up Joseph Benedetto.
Despite the change, the Canadians continued to click as McMillan picked up his fourth of the period at 15:29 before Jett Leishman finished off the barrage late in the stanza.
Each club would score once in the third to wrap things up with Caleb Wood connecting for the Soo while Fowke did likewise for RBC.
Zachary Snow dished out three assists in the romp for Rayside-Balfour.
Shots on goal in the contest favoured the Canadians by a 50-30 count with David Bowen picking up the win while Allison suffered the defeat.
The same two teams will meet again in a NOJHL West Division semifinal with the schedule for that best-of-seven affair being announced once it is finalized.
