IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – Brett Ouderkirk supplied a third period natural hat trick and added two earlier assists as the Iroquois Falls Eskis stormed back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Timmins Rock 8-6 Wednesday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Jus Jordan Arena.
Iroquois Falls got on the board first thanks to Jacob Erwin’s third tally of the season near the five-minute mark of the opening frame.
Timmins answered that by striking three times in rapid succession to grab a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes on a pair of Zachary Kercz efforts sandwiched around one by Bain Cunningham.
The goals kept coming in the middle stanza with the two sides combing for five markers, including three by the Eskis.
Stuart Harley, David Osborne and Kezmin Madden connected for Iroquois Falls with the latter two coming on the power play while Tyler Planetta and Devin Panzeca, shorthanded, countered for Timmins.
Kercz’s third of the night made it 6-4 Rock during a man advantage three minutes into the final frame.
Osborne started the Eskis comeback 41 seconds later with a power play marker of his own.
Ouderkirk then tied it at 6:27 as he finished off an Iroquois Falls extra man effort.
The home side kept coming as Ouderkirk notched the eventual game-winner with the Eskis fifth power play goal of the night with 8:10 to go.
Ouderkirk then capped off the come from behind victory and his five-point night with an empty netter in the final minute as the Eskis celebrated their first win of the season.
Dan Davies made 15 stops in the third period to pick up the triumph in relief of Josh Horner who stopped 41 of 46 in 40 minutes of work.
Logan Ferrington faced 44 shots in defeat for the Rock, who got two assists from Mike Norris.
