NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016
Rampinelli’s late goal lifts Eagles over Canadians
CHELMSFORD, Ont. – The Soo Eagles’ Rhett Rampinelli notched his 12th goal of the season with 3:37 left in regulation to lift his side to a narrow 2-1 decision over the Rayside-Balfour Canadians Saturday evening in a tightly contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up at Chelmsford Arena.
It was a goaltenders’ battle through 40 minutes with both the Eagles’ Kade Phipps and the Canadians’ Cameron Lamour keeping the game scoreless through two periods of play.
Sault Ste. Marie finally cracked the goose egg 4:38 into the third on a Zac McKenna effort.
Rayside-Balfour countered with the equalizer just over three minutes later as Brett Whitehead beat Phipps for his fourth tally of the campaign.
Then with overtime drawing near, Rampinelli’s effort eluded Lamour to give the visitors the win in the late going as he scored for a second straight outing and extended a modest point streak to four in the process.
Phipps was called upon to make 26 saves earn the victory for the Eagles while Lamour faced 36 shots in defeat for the Canadians.
