Photos: Justin Cairns
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – A Liam Watson marker 15 seconds into overtime was the decider as the surging Soo Eagles held off a pesky Kirkland Lake Gold Miners side 5-4 Friday night in a thrilling Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Pullar Stadium.
The Eagles continued their solid play of late by beginning the scoring a minute and a half into the proceedings when defenceman Gabriel Clark sent a shot from the right side that was stopped by Gold Miners’ starter Brian Rathwell, but the rebound was eventually stuffed in by Ethan Hoff.
Adding another at 7:49, Sault Ste. Marie’s Nolan Nemecek darted down the right wing with pace and fed Jacob Peterson in the slot who whipped in his ninth of the season.
That saw Nemecek extend a point streak to six while Peterson is now on a five-game heater.
Coming out quickly to begin the second period, Kirkland Lake’s Daniel Rusu started an opportunity in the neutral zone and fed Mavrik Boucher going down the right wing where he fired one through Soo goaltender Jace Knoerle at the 14-second mark.
They then tied it just after a power play they were on had expired as Nathan Harper notched his team-leading 16th tally as he stuffed in a loose puck off a Boucher attempt from the slot that Knoerle could not control.
A third straight tally put the Gold Miners ahead when Boucher finished off the leftovers off a Ty Anderson point attempt put towards the target.
Tying it up on a late five-on-three in the waning moments of the frame saw Hoff notch another as he knocked in a pass put in front from behind the net by Logan Stawizynski.
Still on the man advantage to begin the final frame, Samuel Gold put the home side back in front as he fired in an errant clearing attempt around the boards by Rathwell.
Battling back to tie it up late on a power play, and with their goalkeeper out for an extra attacker, Kirkland Lake’s Jeremy Schoenborn fired a chance into the crease with speed from a sharp angle that was steered in by Jake Williams at 18:07.
Heading to OT, the Soo were quick to quick convert as Watson led a rush up-ice and provided the game-winner while driving hard to the net, after being set-up by Hoff.
After starting the season 0-8-0-1, the Eagles have gone 19-11-2-0 since to move to the .500 mark on the campaign with the victory.
Earning a point in the narrow setback, Kirkland Lake’s record goes to 12-24-0-5.
