ESPANOLA, Ont. – The Espanola Paper Kings broke open an early tie game with eight unanswered tallies to pull out a 9-1 win over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Sunday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at the Regional Recreation Complex.
A nice bank pass, off the side boards, helped Espanola break in on an odd-man rush which allowed Owen Fergusson to fire a feed in front that was quickly pumped in by Darino Sacino to commence the scoring.
Kirkland Lake came right back however, just over a minute later, to draw level as Luca Maiuri drove hard to the net and put a play in front that was chipped in by Benjamin Armatage at 7:20 past goalkeeper Jake Marois.
Going back in front before the first intermission, the Paper Kings’ Lucas Signoretti made a nifty back pass from behind the net to Jack Lynes, who collected it and snapped it high over the blocker of Connor Davis in the Gold Miners’ net.
In the second period, some diligence from Espanola defenceman Aidan Rufa helped keep the play in the Kirkland Lake zone, which allowed Lucas Dubois to blast a shot from up top, along the right side, that got through Davis at 6:44.
Continuing to press, the home side went up by three just over five minutes after that as Spencer Horgan cruised in from the point and took a pass in the slot, which he whipped in for his eighth of the season, which tops all NOJHL blueliners.
A Fergusson shorthanded effort, six minutes into the third helped secure the Paper Kings’ victory as he benefitted from a turnover put right on his stick and made no mistake with the opportunity as he sizzled a wrister into the left corner.
Not done there, Espanola tacked on three more to wrap-up the one-sided result compliments of Kyle den Ouden, Ruffa, and one more from Lynes.
Lynes also had a third period penalty shot, but could not put it past Davis.
The win sees the Paper Kings improve to 8-4-0-0, while Kirkland Lake fell to 3-7-1-1 with the loss.
