COCHRANE – Reed Gregory scored twice, including the game-winner, and added an assist to help propel the Cochrane Crunch to a 5-3 victory over the Mattawa Blackhawks Thursday evening in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League preseason opener staged at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
Mattawa was quick to strike in the contest as Alex Dasia connected 16 seconds after the opening face-off.
Gregory pulled the home side even just over a minute and he beat Mattawa starter Joe Sheppard at 1:23.
Kyle Huhn and Jimmy Philbin made it 3-1 Blackhawks later in the opening session before Ryan Gruszka pulled the Crunch within one before the frame was complete.
A Jacob Erwin tally tied it with 8:41 to go in the second and Gregory then put Cochrane in front for good three minutes later.
Joey Marvin, who had two earlier assists, added some third period insurance to round out the night’s scoring.
Aviv Milner also had a pair of helpers to aid the offensive cause for the Crunch.
Matt Young started in net for Cochrane and gave way to Troy Paquette after the third Mattawa marker.
Final shots on goal were 47-22 in favour of the Crunch.
The same two teams will meet again Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.
One other NOJHL preseason clash Friday sees the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners entertaining the Abitibi Eskimos in a 7:30 p.m. start at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
