NOELVILLE – The Timmins Rock withstood a trio of power play goals from Connor Loft of the French River Rapids before eventually prevailing with a 7-3 road victory in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Sunday at Noelville Arena.
Timmins started off the day with the contest’s opening marker 6:19 in as Rock defenceman Josh Anderson scored for the 10th time this season, with help from A.J. Campbell.
French River got that back and added another in the latter stages of the first frame as Loft notched his first two tallies with his club up a skater on a pair of occasions.
Regrouping in the middle session, Timmins scored three times before the stanza was eight and a half minutes old to give them a 4-1 lead.
Owen Shier started the outburst 55 seconds in before Rock affiliate Rhys Chiddenton connected in his NOJHL debut to pick up his first league goal at 6:41.
Timmins captain Derek Seguin then registered his team-leading 32nd on the next shift to put extend the guests’ cushion.
Answering back in the final minute of the frame, Loft finished off his initial NOJHL hat trick at 19:05 to bring the home side to within one entering the third.
In that last period, it was Seguin’s turn to click on the power play as he collected his second marker of the day and 33rd overall, which came during an early man advantage chance.
It was more Rock at 5:02 as Matt Capisciolto added some insurance with his 12th of 2018-19 before Chiddenton capped off his impressive league debut with another marker to go with his first and an assist to join Anderson and Capisciolto with three-point days.
Philippe Daoust assisted on all three of Loft’s markers while Hunter Brazier supplied a pair of helpers for the Rapids.
Tyler Masternak finished with 36 saves in net for Timmins to record the victory.
Niko Manetas started for the Rapids, giving up four on 28 shots while Carson Murison stopped 30 of 33 in nearly 33 minutes of relief.
Game Photos courtesy of Dal Photography
