Timmins Rock blue-liner Kyle Trottier ties up Hearst Lumberjacks forward Aiden Kalin as goalie Dryden Riley reaches down to smoother the puck during the second period of Friday night’s NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena. The Rock got a power-play marker with five seconds remaining in regulation to edge the Lumberjacks 4-3. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS
TIMMINS, Ont. – A Lucas Lowe man advantage marker with just under six seconds remaining in regulation lifted the Timmins Rock to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Hearst Lumberjacks Friday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action in front of 948 fans at McIntyre Arena.
Recently acquired forward Will Robinson helped Hearst begin the evening’s scoring, just past the midway point of the first period after Liam Boswell pressured a turnover, which allowed Robinson to skate in and tuck the puck through the legs of Timmins netminder Dryden Riley, for his initial NOJHL tally.
The Rock countered quickly into the second period to knot the affair as Brant Romaniuk lifted in a rebound at 1:39 off an impressive dash into the Lumberjacks zone by Harry Clark.
Taking the lead at 10:29, Clark generated another point after sending a feed in front that eventually saw Mason Svarich lift it past Hearst goaltender Tristan Boileau.
It was more from Clark a couple of shifts later as he wheeled out from behind his own net, then made an impressive end-to-end dash that he finished off while on one knee by snapping it by Boileau for a highlight reel tally.
Pulling to within one, while up a skater early in the third, Hearst’s DonHeaven Veilleux scooped up a loose puck, then cut around a Rock defender and roofed a shot from the left of Riley.
The visitors then drew level near the midway point of the period when Aiden Kalin pulled up and fed Julien Trudel in the slot where he wired the equalizer, high blocker side, into the top left-hand corner.
Then with overtime looming, Timmins pulled out the game-winner, while up a skater, when Lowe when a draw back to Romaniuk, who went to the high slot and sent a shot to the net that was neatly tipped in by Lowe to complete the dramatic finish.
With the outcome, the Rock raise their record to 17-9-2-0 while with the late loss, the Lumberjacks fall to 13-10-3-2.
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
