QUINTE WEST, Ont. – Kobe Kellar (Soo Eagles) had the lone goal while Colin Ahern (Soo Thunderbirds) was flawless in net handling all 21 shots he faced to post the shutout as Team Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West blanked Ontario Junior Hockey League Oates 1-0 Monday night at the Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge at Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens in Trenton.
Action in the first of two 20-minute periods on the night saw it go scoreless with NOJHL netminder Ahern making eight saves with Tristan Lennox in the OJHL goal handled all 12 attempts fired his way.
Pressing the pace to commence the final frame, the NOJHL was rewarded with the game’s only tally at 3:45 off a face off win when Kellar wired one home from the left side high on Lennox with assists going to Chase Lammi (Espanola Express) and Evan Krassey (Rayside-Balfour Canadians).
The OJHL squad picked it up from there as they tried to tie it, but Ahern and his teammates stood firm to secure the three points for the win in regulation.
That combined with the two points they earned in a 2-1 shootout triumph over MHL South earlier in the day moved them into top spot in Group A after Day 1.
Lennox made 24 stops in a losing cause for OJHL Oates .
NOJHL West wraps up the round robin portion of their schedule Tuesday at 5:20 p.m. vs. OJHL Nieuwendyk as they look to secure a semifinal berth while NOJHL East returns to game action at 2 p.m. as they take on CCHL Yzerman.
All Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge games are streamed online at HockeyTV.com.
Photo credit: Andy Corneau, OJHL Images
