TIMMINS, Ont. – A Brant Romaniuk man-advantage marker, late in the first period, held up as the game-winner as the Timmins Rock went on to top the Soo Eagles 4-1 Saturday to begin their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final match-up at McIntyre Arena.
Notching the initial goal of the series, Timmins converted on a power play at 16:59 when a Braedyn Cyr wrister from up top hit Ryan Armitage jammed in front, with other bodies, and bounced past occupied Sault Ste. Marie starter Mason Burkes.
Another extra-man effort before the intermission saw Kaeden McArthur fire a crisp cross-ice feed over to Romaniuk, who quickly whipped it in.
Cutting into the deficit while up a skater themselves, the Eagles’ Tyler Fortson put his team on the board by pumping one top shelf from the back of the right circle, high over the blocker of Rock netminder Dryden Riley, four and a half minutes into the second stanza.
Regaining their multi-marker cushion just over five minutes into the third, Timmins’ Jack Kelly corralled a bouncing puck in front of the crease, then while spinning, sent it into bottom left corner.
With Burkes on the bench for an extra attacker in the late going, the Soo pushed to pull closer, but the Rock’s Reece Liu picked off a play in his own zone before racing down and finishing off the win with an empty netter in the final minute.
The series resumes Sunday night back in Timmins at 8:30 p.m.
NOJHL quarter-final
No. 4 Timmins Rock vs. No. 5 Soo Eagles
Rock lead best-of-seven series 1-0
Game 1: Rock 4 Eagles 1
Game 2: Sunday, March 23 @ Timmins 8:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 3: Wednesday, Match 26 @ Sault. Ste. Marie 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 4: Thursday, March 27 @ Sault. Ste. Marie 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 5*: Friday, March 28 @ Sault Ste. Marie 7:30 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 6*: Sunday, March 30 @ Timmins 8 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 7*: Monday, March 31 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
*-if necessary
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