Photos: Allyson Demers
KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – Breaking open a tie game with a trio of second period tallies, including a pair from Brant Romaniuk, the Timmins Rock went on to defeat the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 5-1 Saturday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
Skating in their home opener, Kirkland Lake got going offensively five minutes into the proceedings.
On their marker, the Gold Miners countered in transition in the neutral and saw Inde Abresch win a race into the Rock zone and while diving for the puck, sent it in front where a charging Trent Nobes steered it past Timmins’ netminder Graham Gee for his first NOJHL goal.
Answering with an equalizer midway through the frame, Henry McLellan whipped a shot from the top of the right circle that beat Kirkland Lake’s Kael Moberg.
Still tied into the second stanza, the visitors took the lead when Romaniuk powered his way down the left wing, then drove hard to the net, where he lifted in his fifth goal of the season.
Timmins then extended their edge at 8:07 with Alexis Tremblay collecting his initial NOJHL marker when he whipped in a one-timer off a Hayden Rynard set-up from the end boards.
Romaniuk then added another as he jumped onto the ice on a line-change then wired in an attempt while Moberg was tied up with a downed Rock player clogging the crease for his league-best sixth of the campaign.
Adding to their edge, the Rock put the game away in the third when Braedyn Cyr led a rush into the Kirkland Lake zone and put a pass in front that Ryan Boon tipped high over Moberg.
The win sees Timmins improve to 4-0 early in the season while Kirkland Lake slipped to 0-2.
