Photos: Chelsea Solomon
ESPANOLA, Ont. – The Elliot Lake Red Wings got goals from four different players and a 30-save effort from goalkeeper Nolan Chartrand to earn a 4-1 win over the Espanola Express in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter Friday at the Regional Recreation Complex.
An early power play helped Elliot Lake get on the board first as defenceman Devin Shoreman ripped one into the top left hand corner from the high slot at 6:56 for his first NOJHL tally.
The visitors added another midway through the frame when Brodie Kearns also collected his initial league tally by darting in alone down the left wing where he snapped a shot that eluded Espanola netminder Reid Gates.
Getting another four minutes into the second stanza, Aidan Leblanc found his way free in front and took advantage by joining Shoreman and Kearns with their opening NOJHL markers.
Espanola did cut into the deficit at 11:36 when Ty McHutchion scored in his debut by making no mistake on a two-on-one as he quickly fired in a cross-ice feed.
However, the Red Wings got that back before the session was complete as Alex Antoine joined the NOJHL’s First Goal Club by taking a pass from the corner before zipping one past Gates.
In the third, the Express had a great chance to get back in it during a lengthy two-man advantage, but the Red Wings held firm defensively to get back to full strength.
There would be no more scoring the rest of the way as the Red Wings picked up their initial NOJHL victory.
Chartrand picked up the first-ever win for his new side while Gates made 35 stops in a losing cause for Espanola.
Game summaries, league standings, schedule information, statistics and other related news can be found online at NOJHL.com.
