QUINTE WEST, Ont. – A Jeremie Lavallee goal with 46.5 seconds remaining was the game-winner as the Central Canada Hockey League Yzerman Division rallied for a 3-2 triumph over Team Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Tuesday in Day 2 action in the Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge at Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens in Trenton.
With a face-off win deep in CCHL territory, the NOJHL side opened up the scoring 7:19 into the contest as Zach Hayes (Cochrane Crunch) worked his way to the slot and snapped a shot past CCHL goaltender Matthew Petizian with Sam Ellwood (Kirkland Lake Gold Miners) and Justin Bofshever (Cochrane Crunch) picking up assists on the play.
They then upped their lead to two, deep in the frame, as Cade Herd (Powassan Voodoos) muscled his way out from the end boards, drove to the front of the net and backhanded in his effort at 17:35.
Going to the power play early in the final session, the CCHL used the man advantage to cut into the deficit as Connor Sleeth knocked it in from close range past Gregory Brassard (Kirkland Lake Gold Miners) in the NOJHL net.
Wheeling out of their own zone after taking a NOJHL forward down, the CCHL countered with the equalizer as Konnor MacCormick fired a quick shot the beat Brassard nine minutes into the session.
Then with a shootout looming, the CCHL dumped the puck into the NOJHL zone in the final minute where a defender lost his balance and fell behind net allowing Sleeth to slide it in front where Lavallee knocked in the decider through Brassard.
The Yzerman Division also held the edge in shots on goal by a 33-23 count.
In defeat NOJHL East falls to 0-2 in the12-team event and will wrap up play Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. against OJHL Coffey.
NOJHL West meanwhile wraps up the round robin portion of their schedule later today at 5:20 p.m. vs. OJHL Nieuwendyk as they look to secure a semifinal berth Wednesday afternoon.
All Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge games are streamed online at HockeyTV.com.
Photo credit: Andy Corneau, OJHL Images