IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – A Joseph Coates shorthanded goal a quarter of the way into the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Espanola Paper Kings went on to defeat the Iroquois Falls Storm 3-1 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matchup Friday at Jus Jordan Arena.
It was Espanola who kicked off the night’s scoring late into a man advantage when Owen Smith jammed in a second chance past a sprawled Iroquois Falls netminder Nathan Boudreau at 17:30.
That was the 56th point for Smith, which tops all NOJHL rookies.
After a scoreless middle frame, the man-down effort off the stick of Coates made it 2-0 for the visitors in the third period as he buried a down-low feed from Graydon Guthrie while parked in the slot.
The Storm’s Simon Lemieux put the home side on the board with six and a half minutes to go in regulation as he redirected a Noah Logan point shot that eluded Paper Kings’ goalkeeper Cameron Millar, who was making his initial league start.
However, with Boudreau out for an extra attacker late, Espanola iced it when Carter Drigo knocked down a loose puck in the neutral zone, then moved ahead and slid in an insurance effort into an empty net from distance to wrap-up the road victory.
That gives Drigo points in nine straight contests.
With the outcome, the Paper Kings improve to 26-19-1-3 and with the narrow defeat, Iroquois Falls dips to 14-31-2-3 overall and will need some help in their attempt to qualify for the eighth and final playoff spot.
