NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017
Iroquois Falls holds off French River with 5-2 victory
IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – The Iroquois Falls Eskis used a well-balanced attack getting goals from five different skaters as they went on to defeat the French River Rapids 5-2 Sunday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Jus Jordan Arena.
It was all Eskis in the opening 20 minutes as they charged out to a quick 3-0 lead.
Blake Holowaty got things going for Iroquois Falls with 10th of the season just 31 seconds after the opening face-off.
Ryan Gruszka also reached double digits in scoring for the home side midway through the stanza as he too notched his 10th of the campaign.
The Eskis added to their lead late in the frame when Dillan Bruce buried his 19th at 18:53.
Battling back, French River cut into the deficit at 6:41 of the middle session on an Alex Goettlicher effort.
It was more Goettlicher later in the period as he picked up his second of game and fourth overall at 15:56 to pull the guests to within one entering the third.
With the Rapids pressing for the equalizer, it was Shadow Reuben who supplied some insurance for Iroquois Falls as he reached the 20-goal plateau with five and a half minutes to go to make it 4-2.
French River had a late power play, but the Eskis iced it with a shorthanded marker from Samuel Vigneux with 70 seconds to go to conclude the night’s scoring.
Josh Dejulio dished out two assist to aid in the victory.
Trevor Hawkes made 34 stops to post the win for Iroquois Falls.
Evan Peltier started for the Rapids and suffered the loss allowing three against in 20 minutes of work.
Korlan Vader meanwhile stopped 28 of 30 in long relief for French River.
