ESPANOLA, Ont. – A Sam Mancini goal 3:10 into overtime was the difference as the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners pulled out a 6-5 win over the Espanola Express Friday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest Friday at the Regional Recreation Complex.
Kirkland Lake stormed out front in this one grabbing a 3-0 lead after one period of play thanks to a natural hat trick from Logan Fredericks and he supplied his 38th, 39th and 40th goals of the season.
Espanola battled back in the second stanza getting tallies from Cameron Anklewich and Joel Grandbois to make it a 3-2 game before the Gold Miners’ Joel Fortin notched his 13th of the season at 15:39.
The Express started to roll in the third striking three times to go in front on efforts supplied by Mitchal Payette, Ian Thompson and Dominik Lavergne.
Regrouping, Kirkland Lake got the equalizer with 68 seconds left in regulation as Blake Anderson finished off the work of Fredericks and Cameron Shearer to force extra time.
In the first OT, Fredericks collected his fifth point of the night setting up Mancini’s game-winner to give the visitors the win.
Fortin and Alexander Hester had two assists each for the Gold Miners as did Thompson, Anklewich, Shane Snow and Jason Bednarksi for Espanola.
Victor-Olivier Courchesne made 35 saves to pick up the triumph for Kirkland Lake while Kevin Labelle saw 38 attempts fired his way in the OT setback for the Express.
