NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Nov. 4, 2016
Cochrane returns to win column with 5-3 triumph over Espanola
COCHRANE, Ont. – The Cochrane Crunch rallied from a two-goal deficit in the second period before scoring the game’s last four markers to pull out a 5-3 come from behind victory over the visiting Espanola Express in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter Friday night at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
It was all Espanola early as they went in front 2-0 before the contest was eight minutes old on tallies by Riley Smith and Cameron Anklewich.
Cochrane countered midway through the session as Avery Siau notched his first NOJHL marker to cut the deficit in half.
However the Express came back with 36 seconds left in the frame and went back up by two thanks to Aaron Roschinsky’s eighth of the campaign.
The Crunch opted to replace starter Leighton Williams in favour Jacob Burhans to begin the middle stanza and the move gave the home side some energy as they went on to score twice in the period starting with Brandon McReynolds’ 14th at 12:56, which was followed by Konnar Dechaine’s tying tally, via the power play, with 2:19 to go.
Heading into the third, a late man advantage marker allowed Cochrane to collect the game-winner at 18:12 when Taylor Armbruster beat Espanola netminder Taylor Unruh, who was making his league debut.
Braeden Cross then iced it with an empty netter with nine seconds left to round out the night’s scoring.
Burhans stopped all 22 attempts he faced in 40 minutes of relief to register the win for the Crunch as they put an end to a mini two-game winless drought and improved to 13-2-3-1 on the season.
Williams allowed three against and made seven saves.
The Express meanwhile fell to 5-14-0-1 on the year with Unruh handling 37 of the 41 shots he faced on the night in defeat.
