NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Jan. 15, 2016
Hepler extends goal streak to 10 as Wildcats top Canadians
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – Elliot Lake Wildcats forward Cole Hepler had a pair of tallies and set-up two others to help his side stop the Rayside-Balfour Canadians 5-2 Friday evening in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest Friday at Centennial Arena.
Hepler has now scored at least once in 10 consecutive games for Elliot Lake picking up 16 markers in that span while also running a point streak to a dozen straight outings in the process.
The opening frame was all Wildcats as they clawed their way to a 3-0 lead after one period thanks to power play efforts supplied by Spencer MacLean and Chad Lopez, which were sandwiched around a shorthanded strike by Hepler.
Jayme Forslund got one back for the Canadians at 12:53 of the second, but Hepler got that back with 24 seconds left in the frame as he scored on an Elliot Lake man advantage opportunity.
Lopez notched his second of the evening and 11th overall four minutes into the third before Rayside-Balfour’s Otis Goldman 20th of the campaign rounded out the scoring with 14:22 to go.
Arthur Terchiyev, Nathan Campbell and MacLean dished out two assists each to help pace the Wildcats attack.
Al Rogers made 26 saves for the home team in picking up the victory.
MacKenzie Savard started for the Canadians and suffered the loss stopping 25 of the 30 shots fired his way.
Rayside-Balfour affiliate netminder Justin Richer handled both of the attempts his faced in third period relief.
