NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Dec. 2, 2016
Crunch outlast Rock in high-scoring affair
COCHRANE, Ont. – A Joseph Thielen man advantage marker midway through the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Cochrane Crunch outlasted the Timmins Rock 7-5 Friday in a high-scoring Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
Both clubs came out firing in the opening 20 minutes with the teams combing for seven goals, including four by Cochrane.
After Wayne Mathieu staked the visitors to an early lead, the Crunch countered with a pair of quick tallies courtesy of Darian Harris and Nicolas Flanders to put them up 2-1.
Timmins’ Cole Gilligan tied it at 10:31, but Cochrane came back and tacked on two more from Conor Lovie, via the power play, and the first NOJHL goal from Justin Hess, coming at even strength, put the home side up 4-2.
The Rock’s Cory Sprague finished off the offensive barrage while his side was up a man at 16:49.
Each team would collect markers in the middle session with Mathieu adding his second of the evening during a Timmins power play at 12:04 while Austin Stauffer knocked in his sixth of the season for the Crunch five minutes later.
Thielen then supplied the eventual difference maker in the third before Tyler Romain’s 20th of the year brought the Rock back to within one.
However, Kyle Herbster iced it with a late empty netter for Cochrane to round out the scoring on the night.
Jacob Burhans faced 35 shots in net for the Crunch in picking up the win while Al Rogers saw 42 attempts in defeat for Timmins.
