COCHRANE – The Cochrane Crunch jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and never trailed en route to a 7-4 triumph over the Blind River Beavers Saturday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
Daniel Stagg opened the scoring 71 seconds into the contest while Henry Berger put the home team up by two before the five-minute mark of the contest.
The power play helped the Crunch add to their cushion as 8:44 as Anthony Filoso finished off the feed of Josh Racek.
Blind River would get on the board before the stanza was complete as Chris Ordoobadi notched one for the visitors.
The Beavers moved closer early in the second as Dante Juris made it a 3-2 game at 2:05.
Countering, Cochrane tacked on two more tallies before the middle frame was complete as Dustin Cordeiro added on with the man advantage at 3:53 and then fired home his 34th of the season at even strength 11 minutes later.
In the third Blind River continued to battle making it 5-3 as Matt DaCosta buried his first NOJHL goal at 2:25.
The next shift saw the Beavers strike again thanks to another Ordoobadi effort 47 seconds later.
Cochrane answered that with efforts from Racek and Berger a half minute apart midway through the period to round out the scoring.
Berger finished with two assists as well for a four-point night while Aviv Milner had a pair of helpers as well for the Crunch.
Ben Auger started for Cochrane and allowed the four against on 17 attempts and picked up the win while Brett Young turned aside all seven attempts he faced in nearly 17 minutes of relief.
Braddock Baalerud and Zach Mills both saw time between the pipes for the Beavers as the duo combined to face 54 shots in defeat.
