IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – A pair of Nathan Harper second period tallies, including a shorthanded effort, which held up as the game-winner, helped the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners defeat the Iroquois Falls Storm 4-2 Friday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League competition at Jus Jordan Arena.
The Storm broke out in transition to commence the scoring in the contest, four and a half minutes in, when Michael Karadinovic fired a crisp cross-ice pass over to Mathieu Ouellette on the right wing where he lumbered hard to the net and lifted an attempt over the pad of Gold Miners’ netminder Glen McInnes.
Answering with an equalizer off an odd-man rush, Kirkland Lake’s Jake Williams wired a wrister off the post and past Iroquois Falls’ Lucas Cardiff-Bilodeau.
Retaking the lead before the first intermission, Simon Lemieux put the home side back on top as he roofed a drop pass provided by Rafek Dianov.
Action in the second stanza saw guests pull even at 15:06 as Harper spun in the slot and whipped in his sixth of the season.
Harper then added another while his club was down a skater by stuffing in an in-close set-up from Williams into an open corner.
In the third, the Gold Miners extended their cushion as Quinton Pagé steered in a pass put to through the crease by Tyson Anderson with 9:16 remaining.
That proved to be the final goal of the evening as Kirkland Lake improved to 10-18-0-3 on the season.
In defeat, the Storm fell to 9-18-0-2.
