IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – A Brant Romaniuk marker 3:47 into overtime proved to be the difference as the Timmins Rock slipped past the Iroquois Falls Storm 2-1 Saturday in a hard-fought Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair at Jus Jordan Arena.
Following a scoreless first frame, Timmins broke the stalemate with a man advantage marker early in the second stanza as Diego Da Silva took a cross-ice pass from Kimani Eccleston, controlled it, then wired a rising wrister past Iroquois Falls netminder Virgil Sausset-Plateaux.
Tying it up off some crisp puck movement during a power play five minutes into the third period, Mathieu Ouellette scooped up a rebound in close and stuffed it past the outstretched pad of Rock goalkeeper Frédéric Cousineau.
Remaining level through the remainder of regulation, the clubs headed to OT to try and find a winner.
In extra time, Timmins controlled a draw in their own zone that led to Romaniuk coming up ice where he skated into the Iroquois Falls end, then used a slight toe drag, before ripping in the game-winner high over the blocker of Sausset-Plateaux to end it.
The victory sees the Rock improve to 7-5-0-1 on the season and with a point in the OT setback the Storm go to 6-7-0-2.
