NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
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ESPANOLA – The Espanola Paper Kings saw Jason Galante tally twice and help set-up another to aid in sending his side to a 5-2 triumph over the Timmins Rock in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting Saturday at the Regional Recreation Complex.
Needing just 29 seconds to open the scoring, the Rock’s Brant Romaniuk did just that as he came down the right wing and sizzled a rising shot past Paper Kings’ starter James Meredith.
Coming back to tie it at 12:08, Espanola’s Carter Drigo pushed a play past a pair of defenders and raced in where he wired an attempt by netminder Dryden Riley.
Timmins came back to retake the lead while on a man advantage when Lucas Lowe found himself free in front and stuffed in a feed from the top of the crease.
Countering once more, the Paper Kings evened it at 2-2, in the final minute of the first, thanks to Galante redirecting a point shot from Atley Gringorten past Riley.
In the middle frame, Kaden Wicklander gave the home side the lead early on as he lifted in a backhand off a feed from Samuel Gravel.
Staying that way after 40 minutes, Espanola carried a 3-2 edge into the second intermission.
Moving to the third, an early Ashton Pitawanakwat effort put the Espanola up by a pair when he took a feed from Galante and darted in alone on Riley and make no mistake with a crisp wrist shot to give him goals in back-to-back outings.
Adding to his impressive night, Galante neatly redirected in a Wicklander attempt to the target to give the Paper Kings some insurance with 11:20 to go.
That proved to the night’s final marker as Espanola pulled out the three-goal win.
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