Game Photos – Allyson Demers
KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – Making 26 saves to record his first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League shutout Saturday, Timmins Rock goaltender Konrad Simard backstopped his side to a 4-0 triumph over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
A good start for the visiting Rock saw them skate out to a 2-0 lead after one period of play.
Timmins captain Tyler Schwindt got the guests going off a nice individual effort as he darted down the ice, cut in and around a Kirkland Lake defenceman then neatly zipped an attempt over the shoulder of goalkeeper Keaton Lyons at 8:13.
Then Daniel Beaupre added the other tally eight and a half minutes later as he banged in a loose puck off a goal-mouth scramble.
Taking their edge into the middle frame, the Rock kept rolling and tacked on two more to go up by four.
While down a skater, Christopher Engelbert picked up a gift while shorthanded for the third one at 3:21 as Lyons tried to push the puck up, but inadvertently banked it off the Timmins player and into his own net.
Beaupre then added his second of the evening as he came down the right wing on a three-on-one where kept it himself and while using a defender as a screen fired one into the right corner to put the visitors up by four.
That turned out to be the evening’s final tally as the Rock held firm defensively to secure Simard’s initial league blanking.
At the other end, Lyons faced 52 attempts against in a losing cause.
