Trenton tops Greater Sudbury Cubs
A pair of early third period tallies, just moments apart, broke open a tie game as the Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) went on to defeat the Greater Sudbury Cubs 5-2 Monday at the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons.
Moments after handling the Cubs’ initial power play of the contest, the Golden Hawks countered quickly to open the scoring 12:33 into the proceedings.
On the tally, Trenton’s Jaxon Broda sent a head man feed up to Taeo Artichuk that he dished over to David Fournier, who moved in and snapped a short-side shot past Greater Sudbury goaltender Karsen Chartier.
Answering right back, Alexandre Valade drew the NOJHL champions level a half-minute later when took a Spencer Horgan pass along the blueline and pumped an attempt from up top that found its way through traffic in eluding Golden Hawks netminder Ryan Sanborn up high.
After the Cubs had a number of chances to take the lead, including Samuel Assinewai ringing one off the crossbar, the Ontario Junior Hockey League title holders went back on top with six seconds remaining in the first period as Fournier was set-up by Artichuk in the left circle and roofed one between the post and Chartier’s shoulder.
In the second stanza, Greater Sudbury generated a number of chances to tie it in the first half of the frame featuring Horgan ringing one off the iron from the high slot.
Maintaining pressure in the Trenton zone, the Cubs tied it when Lincoln Moore snagged a loose puck off a Lucas Signoretti attempt, then spun and whipped it by a downed Sanborn at 11:30.
Then controversy ensued when a potential go-ahead goal by Lucas Signoretti was waived off by the officials, in which the Greater Sudbury bench argued that it should have counted after Sanborn dislodged the net, in a session that saw them out shoot the Golden Hawks 13-3.
Still knotted into the third, the OJHL side retook the lead early on as they broke out quickly after a draw in their own end that led to Aaron Brown finishing off a give-and-go with Corbin Roach that was steered into a gaping net.
Trenton then tacked on another 11 seconds later as Jonathan Pylypuik was left with a tap-in off a Chartier miscue behind the net.
That resulted in Cubs’ goaltending change as back-up Noah Beaulne entered in relief.
Adding some insurance in the back half of the stanza, the Golden Hawks split the defence and saw Thomas Kuipers finish off a pass from Joey Brehmer to cap-off the scoring.
Picking up player of the game laurels were Valade and Fournier.
Falling to 1-2 at the 10-team event, Greater Sudbury faces a must-win match-up Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET against the Kam River Fighting Walleye (SIJHL) to close out round robin play.
The Cubs will need a victory in regulation, to pick-up three points, if they have any hope of advancing to the playoff round.
GAME SUMMARY
Photo credit: Erica Perreaux/Hockey Canada Images
