NOELVILLE, Ont. – The dream start to the 2017-18 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League season continues for the French River Rapids.
French River picked up two goals and as many assists from Jordan Picard to help them skate to a 5-2 victory over the Elliot Lake Wildcats Saturday night at Noelville Arena.
With the win the Rapids moved into first overall in the league standings with their 11th point moving past the idle Powassan Voodoos as well as the Blind River Beavers, who suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Cochrane Crunch on this night.
Saturday’s contest saw French River tack on two tallies in the first period to take an early edge.
Jacob Uridil started things off offensively for the Rapids at 12:34 while surging Gregory Trudeau-Paquet notched his seventh marker of the campaign three minutes later while extending a point streak to five in the process.
Elliot Lake cut into the deficit late in the stanza when Logan Freiburger’s fourth counted on the power play at 18:41.
French River got that back early in the middle frame as Trudeau-Paquet fed Picard to put the hosts back up by a pair.
Battling back the Wildcats pulled back to within one with seven minutes left in the period compliments of David Dedo’s fourth as a member of the club.
Heading into the third, Levi Siau put the home side up by two once more as he notched his third of the young season at 4:07 for the Rapids.
Picard then iced it late for French River to secure the decision.
Andrew Rocha made 36 saves to record the win for the Rapids.
Allan Menary meanwhile made 26 stops in defeat for Elliot Lake.
Game pics courtesy of Dal Photography
