Photos: Helene Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – A rapid three-goal outburst in the third period broke open a tight game and saw the Blind River Beavers pull out a 7-2 victory over the Iroquois Falls Storm Sunday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League afternoon affair at the Blind River Community Centre.
Blind River bagged the initial tally of the game as Jack Robinson wheeled into the Iroquois Falls end with speed and firmly fired a short side shot over the shoulder of netminder Brodie Haylock at 14:14.
The Storm came right back moments later to tie it with Patrice Lafontaine neatly tipped in an Allan Watt attempt from the left point past the Beavers’ Iain Wintle.
Retaking the lead before the first intermission, Blind River’s Cameron Menard broke in on a two-on-one and managed to squeak one through Haylock that slowly trickled across the goal line.
Moving to the middle frame, the hosts scored twice in the session to go up 4-1 after 40 minutes.
Robinson made it 3-1 at 15:37 with his second of the day after Michael Gallagher won a race to the puck and got it on front and saw it quickly whipped in.
They then went up by three after Robinson fed Evan Fraccaro, who slid one through the five-hole of Haylock with 15 seconds left in the stanza.
In the third, Seth Morin of Iroquois Falls sent a crisp pass through the crease that was steered in by Tyler Corbett to get back in it.
However, the Beavers rebounded with a trio of quick tallies to put the game away.
Matthew Campanella began the surge by lifting one into the top corner with a pile of bodies crammed in front of a downed Haylock.
Menard then converted right after that as he split the Storm defence and finished his chance into the left of the net.
The home side then finished it off with Danial Vasic making no mistake on a breakaway with a nice shot to wrap-up the victory.
With the win, Blind River raised their record to 16-8-0-0 and saw Iroquois Falls fall to 7-17-0-1 in defeat.
