KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners used the strength of a four-goal third period to break open a close game as they went on to defeat the Iroquois Falls Eskis 9-3 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee Sunday afternoon at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
Kirkland Lake jumped out to a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes getting markers from Brett Ouderkirk, Joel Fortin and Logan Fredericks while Josh Dejulio countered for Iroquois Falls.
The middle session saw each side tally twice with Blake Anderson and Fredericks put the home side up 5-1 before Kyle Sutherland, with his first of the season, and Dillan Bruce answered for the Eskis to bring the visitors to within two entering the final stanza.
In the third, it was all Gold Miners however as they struck four times to put the game away.
Sam Mancini made it 6-1 early in the session while Fortin notched his second of the day 2:59.
Fortin then finished off a three-goal game at 10:58 while Fredericks completed a hat trick of his own with four minutes to go to conclude the scoring. The duo had four points each on the afternoon.
Ouderkirk, Brayden Stortz and Marc-Antoine Arseneau had two assists apiece for Kirkland Lake.
Three of Kirkland Lake’s goals came shorthanded while each of the Iroquois Falls markers came via the power play.
Tyler Mazzocatto made 20 saves to pick-up the win while Matthew Camilleri faced 39 shots in defeat.
