IROQUOIS FALLS – A Brennan Roy power play goal with 5:43 remaining proved to be the difference as the Abitibi Eskimos edged the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 2-1 in a tightly contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Wednesday evening at Jus Jordan Arena.
Skating in his sixth NOJHL game since joining the Eskimos from the Ridge Meadows Flames of B.C., Joe Olson notched his first tally for his new club as he opened the scoring 16:51 into the contest.
It stayed a 1-0 game until six and a half minutes into the third when Kirkland Lake pulled even courtesy of Ryan Aubertin’s 23rd tally of the season.
Abitibi’s Roy then buried the decider as his man advantage effort eluded Josh Erickson on the Gold Miners net with the deciding marker.
The Roy goal also extended a consecutive game point streak to eight straight outings.
Logan Ferrington turned in a 29-save effort to record the victory for the Eskimos as he won for a seventh time since joining the squad as raisedhis current NOJHL-best save percentage to .917, just ahead of Erickson’s .916.
Erickson, who tops all netminders in the league in goals-against average at 2.32, lost for just the second time in 23 appearances falling to 18-2-0-2 overall. He finished with 30 stops in the setback.
A pair of tilts is on the NOJHL slate Wednesday as the Powassan Voodoos host the Mattawa Blackhawks at 7 p.m. while the Sudbury Nickel Barons entertain the Elliot Lake Wildcats at 7:30 p.m.
