IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – Breaking open a close game with a trio of third period tallies sent the Iroquois Falls Storm on their way to a 6-2 triumph versus the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Saturday night in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at Jus Jordan Arena.
It was the hometown Storm that began the scoring past the midway mark of the first period on a three-on-one that led to Avery Wease dishing a pass over to Jacob Demers driving to the net that he collected and neatly tucked a backhand past Gold Miners’ netminder Glen McIness for his initial NOJHL tally.
Kirkland Lake countered with an equalizer at 13:23 thanks to Ben Lyons who went in after a Iroquois Falls player lost an edge and after sliding the puck in front saw it clip off the stick of a diving defender and slide by goaltender Alex Hall.
Retaking the lead via the power play four and a half minutes into the second stanza, the Storm won a face-off and saw Colin Chesnut fire a pass over to Bruce Grey in the left circle that was snapped in with authority.
Collecting the second assist on the marker was Lucas Willoughby, who extends a consecutive game point streak to nine.
Extending their lead in the latter portion of the session, Wease picked up his first in the league by tipping in a feed across from Willoughby that went between the legs of McInnes.
An errant Iroquois Falls clearing attempt early in the final frame saw the Gold Miners counter quickly and see Jake Williams convert from close range on Hall with help from Lyons.
Regrouping, the Storm countered three times in a 10-minute span to lock down the win.
Benjamin Coupal began the outburst at 7:38 as he took a head-man pass from Landon Trethewey then muscled his way in and clicked on a second chance during a delayed penalty call.
The hosts then saw Lucas Peever and Coupal click on the man advantage to wrap-up the result.
On Peever’s effort, he took a short feed across from Alexandre St. Pierre and promptly pumped it in from the right side.
Coupal then completed the scoring with his second of the evening and team-leading 10th as he darted into the Kirkland Lake zone with pace and drove hard around a defender before moving right to left before lifting in a backhand to close things out.
