By: Matt Stefano
Today the Central Canada Cup Challenge officially got underway at the MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario and after finishing off with an 0-5 record last December in Terrebonne, Quebec, it was a fresh start with Team NOJHL facing OJHL Coffey.
Soo Thunderbirds head coach Jordan Smith was named head coach of Team NOJHL after serving as an assistant to Kirkland Lake Gold Miners head coach Marc Lafleur one season ago. The other Members from the Soo are assistant coach Ryan Maunu, general manager Kevin Cain along with players; Captain Anthony Miller, Brian Kment, Mario Culina, David Radke, Jaren Bellini and Nick Sicoly who was just one of two sixteen year olds representing Team NOJHL.
Team NOJHL took an early lead just 3:19 into the first period with Brenden Locke scoring on the powerplay to put his team ahead 1-0 with Ethan Strong picking up the lone helper. Luc Soares goal would put Team NOJHL up by two at 10:29 with T-Birds and Team NOJHL captain Anthony Miller picking up his first assist and point of the tournament along with Nathan Campbell. A powerplay goal by Dawson Theede got Team OJHL back in it at 15:06 with Eric Williams and Josh Lafrance drawing the assists. The OJHLers would tie it up with another powerplay goal just thirty four seconds later courtesy of Vince Figliomeni from Andrew Coupland.
With the teams tied 2-2 heading into the second, it would be the OJHL taking a 3-2 lead courtesy of Abbott Girduckis’s goal at 2:03 with Eric Williams and Andrew Coupland each picking up their second assists. Team NOJHL would find themselves trailing by two after they led by two in the first courtesy of Dawson Theede’s second goal of the game which put the OJHLers up 4-2 with Abbott Girduckis and Jonathan O’Hara picking up assists at 6:03. Team NOJHL came right back at the 10:53 mark courtesy of Brady Clouthier’s first of the tournament with Ryan Mooney picking up the lone assist. Dustin Cordeiro’s goal at 16:40 tied the game up at four with Thunderbirds forwards Jaren Bellini and Nick Sicoly picking up the assists.
The game was tied 4-4 through regulation and OJHL Coffey would come on top defeating the NOJHL 5-4 in seven rounds of a shootout. Thunderbirds goalie Mario Culina was in goal for Team NOJHL’s loss and next action for the NOJHLers will be Saturday morning, November 15th vs OJHL Oates back at the MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke.
Shootout Results:
NOJHL
Brendan Locke – GOAL
Spencer MacLean – NO GOAL
Brady Clouthier – NO GOAL
Dustin Cordeiro – NO GOAL
Jaren Bellini – NO GOAL
Luc Soares – NO GOAL
OJHL
Alex Tongue – NO GOAL
Matthew Whittaker – GOAL
Gabriel Valenzuela – NO GOAL
Nick Thomakos – NO GOAL
Abbott Girduckis – NO GOAL
Vince Figliomeni – GOAL
