KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners got a hat trick and an assist from Kevin Ford to help lead them over the Iroquois Falls Eskis 6-4 Friday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
David Osborne did get the Eskis off to a good start when he struck shorthanded just 3:44 into the game.
Kirkland Lake responded however getting a trio of tallies to go up 3-1 after one.
Ford had a man down marker of his own, as well as another on the power play, sandwiched around an even strength effort courtesy of Austin Ramirez.
Dillan Bruce got one back for Iroquois Falls early in the second only to see Blake Cudmore counter for the Gold Miners while his club was short a skater.
Samuel Vigneux matched that for the visitors at 9:15 to make it a 4-3 game after two periods of play.
After Ford helped set-up Alex Storjohann at 5:36 of the third, he then finished off his three-goal night nine and a half minutes later to put Kirkland Lake in control.
The Eskis’ Jack Speer did get one back late, but that’s as close as they would get before time expired.
T.J. Oricchio and Stavros Soilis dished out two assists each for the Gold Miners.
Victor-Olivier Courchesne made 22 saves to pick up the win for Kirkland Lake.
Artem Bortovskiy meanwhile faced 33 shots in a losing cause for Iroquois Falls.
