The Kirkland Lake GoldMiners opened 2016 with a come from behind 3-2 win, over a game Iroquois Falls Eskis squad, at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex Friday night. Both clubs were slow out of the gate, with the Eskis Blake Holowaty beating Miners keeper Victor-Olivier Courchesne at 6:19, David Osborne drew the assist on Holawaty’s 2nd goal of the season. Eskis led 1-0 after 20 minutes. Miners dman, Dylan Holt, with his 2nd of the year tied it at 9:18 of the 2nd, off a pass from Alexander Hester. David Osborne would put the Eskis back on top 2-1, with his 23rd, sprung on a breakaway off a great pass from Stuart Harley, with Blake Holowaty also drawing an assist. The Osborne goa lcame with 2:40 left in the second. The Miners special teams stepped up in the third, as former Eskis forward, Brett Ouderkirk, with his 17th, shorthanded, from Jesse Houlton, at 10:52 knotted things at 2. Then, Brayden Stortz, weaing the “C” for the 1st time, banged home his 27th, on the powerplay, from Blake Anderson & Dylan Holt with 2:29 to play. Holowaty then put the Eskis down a man with 50 seconds left, ending the Eskis hopes of a last-minute rally. The Miners win 3-2. The 3 Stars were, #3, Eskis netminder Joe Sheppard, #2, Miners keeper Victor-Olivier Courchesne, and the 1st Star & Goldland Pizza Player of the Game, Brayden Stortz.
Courchesne- Stortz
The Miners get right back at it, Saturday night as the 2nd ranked club in the country, the Soo Thunderbirds come to town for a 7:30 start.
