IROQUOIS FALLS – The Cochrane Crunch got three goals from Josh Racek and two more, along with a pair of assists, from Dustin Cordeiro to pull out a 7-5 victory over the Abitibi Eskimos Tuesday evening in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Jus Jordan Arena.
Special teams allowed the visitors of get on the board first as Racek struck shorthanded at 15:46 of the opening stanza.
Abitibi equalized less than two minutes later when Cosmo Amore fired in his second as a member of the Eskimos and fourth overall on the campaign.
The Eskimos Jake Holland put the home side up 2-1 early in the second only to see the Crunch tally twice before the middle session was complete to take the lead into the third.
Daniel Stagg tied it midway through the contest, which was followed by Racek’s second of the evening at 14:51.
The two teams came out firing to begin the final frame with each side scoring twice in the first five minutes of the period.
After Cordeiro made it 4-2 at 1:30, Racek completed his hat trick 53 seconds later to put Cochrane seemingly in control.
However Abitibi battled back with a pair of quick markers off the stick of Tristan Salesse to make it a one-goal game with 15:16 to play.
Brenden Locke then tied it firing home his 20th of the season at 13:44 to level the score at 5-5.
The Crunch countered and went back on top with 1:45 to go as Joseph Mavrin notched the game-winner before Cordeiro iced it in the final minute with an empty netter to secure the road win.
Cody Gratton picked up three assists on the night for Cochrane to give him a league-high 58 points on the season.
Shots on goal favoured Abitibi 50-48 with Brett Young earning the decision and Ryan Ferguson the loss.
NOJHL action continues Wednesday as the Sudbury Nickel Barons host the Elliot Lake Wildcats in a 7:30 p.m. at McClelland Arena.
