Wildcats claw past Nickel Barons

ELLIOT LAKE – The Elliot Lake Wildcats used the strength of a three-goal first period to skate past the Sudbury Nickel Barons 5-3 Friday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Centennial Arena.

Sudbury used the man advantage to take an early lead as Joel Lemay beat Elliot Lake starter Allan Menary 2:47 into the contest.

The Wildcats countered however with three tallies of their own, including two on the power play, to go up by a pair after 20 minutes.

After Spencer MacLean tied it, he then helped set-up two extra man efforts by Shane Woolsey to put the home side up 3-1.

The lone goal on the middle session was provided by Elliot Lake’s Liam Blais as they went up by three.

Ryan Theriault pulled the Nickel Barons closer 4:17 into the third, but David Chiarelli struck on the power play with 5:50 to go to restore the Wildcats cushion.

Jimmy Roy added one for Sudbury a minute later in what turned out to be the final marker of the evening.

Nathan Campbell and Adam Baxter both added two assists each for Elliot Lake to aid the cause for the winners.

Menary finished with 31 saves to record the victory for the Wildcats.

Jessie Morin and Kevin Labelle both saw action for the Nickel Barons in defeat as the duo combined to face 35 shots.