KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners (Host-NOJHL) got four goals from Logan Fredericks to help lead them to an 8-5 victory over the Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) Tuesday evening in a high-scoring Game 2 of the 2016 Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A Championship at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
It was a free-wheeling opening 20 minutes with both sides trading multiple scoring chances in the session.
Kirkland Lake came out quickly notching the night’s initial tally 75 seconds after the opening face-off as Brandon Wolfe made no mistake from the top of the crease as he wristed home his first of the contest past Fort Frances starter Pierce Dusehnko.
Back for their third straight Dudley-Hewitt Cup, the three-time Superior International Junior Hockey League Lakers drew level at 3:03 as A.J. Rupert converted during a man advantage opportunity deflecting a Davis Ross point blast that beat Gold Miners starter Joe Marcoullier.
Fort Frances then went up 2-1 just over a minute and a half later with Matt Tustin ripping one past Marcoullier from the slot.
The back-and-forth affair saw the home side tie it at 13:53, while on the power play, as Wolfe scored again as he jammed home a loose puck following a goal mouth scramble to level the proceedings after one period of play.
Action in the second stanza saw the goals keep coming starting with Kirkland Lake retaking the lead as the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s top goal getter during the regular season, in Fredericks, add to his tally total as he drove hard around the Fort Frances net and spun in front and stuffed his chance into the short side past a sprawled Dushenko.
The offense kept coming as the SIJHLers tied it seconds later with Nick Minerva wristing one low from the right side through the legs of Marcoullier.
Fort Frances then took a 4-3 lead at 13:52 as Dylan Kooner was awarded a penalty shot after being obstructed on a breakaway and made no mistake snapping his opportunity over the blocker of the Gold Miners goalkeeper.
Battling back, Kirkland Lake knotted the score once again moments later with Fredericks wiring his second of the session that went high over the glove of Duchenko.
The visitors then went back in front at 17:19 as Nolan Ross corralled the rebound off a Ryan Gazich shot from the right point and buried his chance from the left circle to make it 5-4 Lakers after 40 minutes.
Another tying tally came nearly seven minutes into the third as the Gold Miners’ Marc-Arseneau scooped up a loose puck in the neutral zone then proceeded to skate into Fort Frances territory and wired a shot that blew into the top right hand corner.
Building on their momentum, Kirkland Lake got the eventual game-winner off the stick of Jesse Houlton with six and a half minutes to go as his attempt from the right point found its way through a crowd in front and eluded the Fort Frances netminder.
Some undisciplined play put the Lakers down two men a few shifts later and the tournament hosts made them pay with Fredericks completing a hat trick.
He then capped off his four-goal night with a late empty netter as he dove for the puck and shovelled the night’s final marker into the open cage with 18 seconds left to round out the scoring.
Joel Fortin and Brayden Stortz both dished out three assists to aid the Gold Miners offensive cause.
Shots on goal in the contest were 45-43 in favour of Kirkland Lake with Marcoullier picking up the win and Dushenko the loss.
Round robin play at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup resumes Wednesday with a pair of contests on the slate.
Fort Frances (0-1) meets the Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) (0-1) at 2 p.m. while Kirkland Lake (1-0) tangles with the Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) (1-0) at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on the Dudley-Hewitt Cup visit the official CJHL – DHC website at centralcanadianchampionship.com.
