KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners got a pair of goals and two assists from Logan Fredericks to help them defeat the Rayside-Balfour Canadians 8-5 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Saturday at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
Kirkland Lake came out quickly in this one, grabbing a 3-0 lead before the contest was 15 minutes old on tallies by Dalton Anderson, Brandon Wolfe and Fredericks, who converted during a man advantage opportunity.
Rayside-Balfour battled back with a power play marker from Makenzie MacMillan and Connor Brown’s eighth of the campaign, which came at even strength to make 3-2 after one period of play.
Alexander Hester made it 4-2 Gold Miners midway through the middle frame as he notched his 10th of the season.
The Canadians’ Tristam Simm made it a one-goal game once again four minutes later, but Kirkland Lake struck twice more before the frame was complete to double their lead thanks to Wolfe and Dylan Holt.
Rayside-Balfour made it interesting once again in the final frame as Bradley Chenier and Cayse Ton brought the visitors to 6-5 with over seven minutes remaining in regulation.
The Gold Miners would put the game away however in the latter stages as Stortz supplied his second of the night and 34th overall with a shorthanded effort at 15:59 while Fredericks finished off his four-point night a minute and a half later thanks to the power play to wrap things up offensively.
Blake Anderson, Andrew Cordssen-David and Hester chipped in with two assists each for the home side.
Shots on goal in the contest favoured Kirkland Lake by a 38-22 count with Victor-Olivier Courchesne picking up and win and Jessie Morin the loss.
