A
four-goal first period was the difference as the Nipigon Elks
handed the
Northern Hawks their first loss of the season by a 5-3 count
Friday in
Thunder Bay Jr. B/Juvenile/AAA
Hockey League action at the Nipigon Community Centre.
Following an early even strength tally by Elks’ captain Steven St.
Jean the
next three Nipigon markers in the opening frame would come on the
power play
courtesy of Brandon Polhill, Jansen McDonald-Swazey and Nick Parry
as they
built up a four-goal cushion after 20 minutes.
The Hawks would get back into the contest with a couple of tallies
of their own
in the middle frame courtesy of Geoff Vaillant and Nathan Spina,
who notched
his league-leading 18th of the season.
Brodie Biasiol would however put the home side up three as he
struck unassisted
at 15:09 of the stanza.
A shorthanded marker by Josh Elvish five minutes into the third
was as close as
the Hawks would get as their record slipped to 12-1-2 on the year
while the second
place Elks improved to 8-6-4.
Shots on goal were 38 apiece with Nipigon’s Ryan Williams
registering the win
while the Hawks’ Jordan George was saddled with the loss.
League play resumes Sunday as the Screaming Eagles take on the Jr.
B Stars at
Delaney Arena. Game time is 8 p.m.