NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, August 25, 2016
Wildcats top Canadians in NOJHL preseason opener
SUDBURY, Ont. – The Elliot Lake Wildcats got a pair of goals from Shane Woolsey along with a marker and two assists courtesy of Josh Armstrong to help lead them to a 6-1 victory over the Rayside-Balfour Canadians Thursday afternoon in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s preseason opener, which was held at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Woolsley staked the Wildcats to an early lead as he connected on the power play at 2:41 beating Rayside-Balfour starter Tyler Szturm.
Mike David pulled the Canadians even with a man advantage marker of his own six minutes later only to see Armstrong strike unassisted 20 seconds after that with the eventual game-winner.
Elliot Lake added another before the stanza was complete as Armstrong fed Garrett Russel at 11:42.
Brett Jacklin notched the lone effort in the middle stanza to give the Wildcats a 4-1 cushion through 40 minutes as his attempt eluded Owen Johannson, who entered the contest at 11:43 of the session, in the Rayside-Balfour net.
Woolsey’s second of the day 5:19 into the third put the visitors up by four while Carson Andrelloi finished things off offensively while Elliot Lake was up a man midway through the stanza.
Justin Richer stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced to record the win for Elliot Lake.
Szturm handled 16 of 19 in defeat for Rayside-Balfour while Johannson turned aside 26 of 29 in just over 28 minutes of relief.
Three more NOJHL preseason games are on the slate Friday.
Those see Kirkland Lake hosting Timmins, Espanola welcoming French River and Iroquois Falls at home to Cochrane in a trio of 7:30 p.m.
