NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
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Receiving stellar goal-tending from Connor Dunham-Fox, the Blind River Beavers rode his efforts to secure a narrow 2-1 triumph over the Timmins Rock Friday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at McIntyre Arena in front of nearly 1,000 fans.
After meeting Wednesday at the NOJHL Showcase in Sudbury, the clubs were quick to renew acquaintances, following a Timmins triumph.
The Rock pressed early but Dunham-Fox was sharp from the onset.
An early Blind River chance to connect came on a breakaway, but Timmins’ netminder Dryden Riley denied Wyatt Gibson.
The visitors eventually broke the ice on a dump-in that the home side could not contain, which led to Keenan Conn chipping in his team-leading fifth of the season, off a scramble in front, at 6:15 of the first period.
They then went up 2-0 a couple of shifts later as Aaron Dukeshire snagged an errant pass and wheeled into the Timmins zone where he cut to his left around a defender and deposited a second chance on a backhand in beating Riley to join Conn with five tallies on the campaign.
A fast-paced middle frame went scoreless as the Beavers carried their cushion into the second intermission.
In the third period, the Rock clicked quickly in transition and saw Lucas Lowe first a pass across to Brant Romaniuk, who whipped in his ninth of the season, with a quick release from the right circle, just 18 seconds into the stanza.
Getting Riley out in the late going for an extra attacker, Timmins pressed to send it to overtime, but as it was for most of the night, Dunham-Fox stood tall to preserve the road victory.
With the win, the Beavers improved to 5-3-1-0 while the Rock slipped to 7-2-0-0 in defeat.
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