COCHRANE, Ont. – An Austin Anselmo goal 1:54 into the second overtime was the difference as the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners knocked off the Cochrane Crunch 5-4 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Thursday evening at Tim Horton Event Centre.
An early man advantage opportunity allowed the Crunch to open the scoring 7:41 into the contest as Brandon McReynolds notched his 15th of the season to put the home side in front.
Kirkland Lake countered with the equalizer midway through the session thanks to a Kevin Ford effort.
Heading into the second stanza the teams tacked on two tallies apiece with Marshall Nikitin and Brandon Carr-Ansah connecting for the Gold Miners while Kyle Herbster and Konnar Dechaine countered for Cochrane.
Special teams allowed Kirkland Lake to take a 4-3 lead 13:16 into the third as Ford notched his second of the evening during a man advantage effort.
Cochrane came back and forced OT with 2:51 left in regulation thanks to Dechaine, who added another, on the power play, as he reached the 14-goal plateau on the year.
The clubs went scoreless in the first OT going four-on-four sending it to the second extra session.
Going three skaters aside in that period, it was Anselmo who won it for the Gold Miners with his third goal overall to give the guests the second point on the night.
Ashton Amaya and Tyler Fyfe chipped in with two assists apiece for the winners.
Victor-Olivier Courchesne finished up with 36 saves to post the victory for Kirkland Lake while Jacob Burhans faced 30 shots in defeat for the Crunch.
