NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016
Rayside-Balfour rallies to clip Cochrane in OT
CHELMSFORD, Ont. – The Rayside-Balfour Canadians rallied from a three-goal deficit to force overtime and then win it 2:39 into the extra session, compliments of captain Danny Lepage, as they pulled out a 6-5 decision over the Cochrane Crunch in a back-and-forth Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair at Chelmsford Arena.
After Tristan Simm staked the Canadians to an early lead, Cochrane countered with a pair of markers from Nicolas Flanders to go in front 2-1 after one.
An early second period power play saw the Crunch go up by a pair on a Braeden Cross effort.
Isaac Tkachuk’s first NOJHL goal made it 4-1 for the visitors as they seemingly had things under control.
However a Jorge Perez man advantage effort late in the frame pulled the hosts to within two.
Then Rayside-Balfour’s Evan Krassey and Cochrane’s Cross traded tallies early in the third to make 5-3 Crunch.
The Canadians drew closer at 11:38 on Brett Whitehead’s first of the season and then forced OT with six and a half minutes left in regulation on Kris Hamlin’s first league effort.
Rayside-Balfour then capped off the comeback with Lepage’s game-winner to secure the second point on the night.
Cameron Lamour made 42 saves to record the win while Jacob Burhans had 36 stops in defeat for Cochrane.
