ELLIOT LAKE – Shane Woolsey had a pair of third period power play tallies while Adam Baxter notched his second straight game-winning goal to help the Elliot Lake Wildcats top the Mattawa Blackhawks 4-2 Wednesday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Centennial Arena.
Neither side would connect in the opening session as the contest was scoreless through 20 minutes.
Tyler Brodersen got the Blackhawks going 8:47 into the middle stanza as he picked up his 21st goal of the season to open the scoring.
The Wildcats drew level with two minutes left in the second as Liam Blais beat Mattawa starter Joe Sheppard.
Elliot Lake took the lead 60 seconds into the final stanza, via the power play, with Woolsey’s first of the night.
Mattawa battled back to tie it during a man advantage opportunity of their own at 4:18 of the frame as Brett Ouderkirk picked up his 12th of the campaign while also extending a consecutive game point streak to five. Blackhawks netminder Sheppard picked up one of the assists on the play.
Baxter then banged home his team-leading sixth game-winner with 7:01 remaining in regulation, which also tied him for second overall among all skaters in the NOJHL in deciding goals.
Woolsey then capped off the night’s scoring with a minute and a half to go as he connected for a second time on the power play.
Baxter and Connor Scott both had two assists for the Wildcats in the win.
A.J. Smith made 25 saves to earn the triumph for Elliot Lake.
Sheppard faced 52 saves in defeat for Mattawa.
