COCHRANE, Ont. – The Cochrane Crunch bounced back from an early deficit to defeat the Timmins Rock 4-1 Thursday night in Game 1 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Division semifinal at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
That now leads both clubs into Game 2, which goes Saturday at 7:30 p.m. back in Cochrane.
Timmins got off to an ideal start notching the night’s opening tally just 41 seconds in on a Landen Matechuk effort.
Special teams allowed the Crunch to get that back with 12:07 left in the first period as NOJHL most valuable player Hunter Atchison’s shot eluded Rock starter Logan Ferrington.
Cochrane took the lead 3:09 into the middle stanza when Tyler Minoletti struck shorthanded picking up the eventual game-winning tally.
Dustin Cordeiro made it 3-1 for the home side as he collected his first of the playoffs with 2:30 left in the session.
Cochrane got some insurance from Zack Anderson early in the third to round out the scoring in the contest.
Jeremy McNeil had two assists to aid the offensive cause for the Crunch.
Brett Young made 32 stops, including 16 alone in the third, to register the win for Cochrane.
Ferrington saw 49 attempts fired his way in defeat for Timmins.
East Division semifinal
No. 1 Cochrane Crunch vs. No. 4 Timmins Rock
Cochrane leads best-of-seven series 1-0
Game 1: Cochrane 4 Timmins 1
Game 2: Saturday, March 19 @ Cochrane 7:30 p.m. (Tim Horton)
Game 3: Tuesday, March 22 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre)
Game 4: Thursday, March 24 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre)
Game 5*: Saturday, March 26 @ Cochrane 7:30 p.m. (Tim Horton)
Game 6*: Tuesday, March 29 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre)
Game 7*: Wednesday, March 30 @ Cochrane 7:30 p.m. (Tim Horton)
*- if necessary
