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Photo Credit: Erica Perreaux / Hockey Canada Images
With both clubs entering day five action tied at three points apiece in Pool ‘A’, the Greater Sudbury Cubs and the Trenton Golden Hawks squared off in a pivotal Monday matchup at the 2024 Centennial Cup Junior ‘A’ Hockey Championships in Calgary, Alberta. The game carried added intrigue as Garden River’s Lincoln Moore of the Cubs faced off against two familiar names from Sault Ste. Marie—Candon O’Neill and Devin Mauro—who suit up for Trenton.
The Golden Hawks were first to strike. At 12:33 of the opening frame, David Fournier snapped a wrist shot over Sudbury netminder Karsen Chartier’s glove to put Trenton up 1–0, with assists going to Taeo Artichuk and Joey Brehmer. Just over a minute later, Cubs defenseman Alexandre Valade responded with a seeing-eye shot from the blue line that found its way through traffic and past Trenton goaltender Ryan Sanborn to knot the game at 1–1. Daks Klinkhammer and Lincoln Moore earned helpers on the equalizer.
But it was Fournier again who made the difference late in the period. With only six seconds remaining, he capitalized on a Sudbury turnover, burying a loose puck from the right faceoff circle for his second of the night, sending the Golden Hawks into the intermission up 2–1. Artichuk and Corbin Roach collected the assists.
In the second, Moore pulled the Cubs back even at 11:30. Picking up a rebound from a Lucas Signoretti shot, the Garden River product fired a quick snap shot over Sanborn’s shoulder for his fourth goal of the tournament. Sam Assinewai also drew an assist on the play, which brought the game to 2–2.
Trenton wasted no time in the third period. Just 2:19 in, Roach found Aaron Brown with a cross-ice feed, who slipped home his first of the championship to restore the Golden Hawks’ lead at 3–2. Things unraveled for the Cubs shortly thereafter—at 2:30, with Chartier behind his net to play the puck, an awkward bounce allowed Jonathan Pylypuik to pot an empty-netter to make it 4–2. Spencer Hughes added the assist on the goal that ended Chartier’s night, prompting Sudbury to send in backup goaltender Noah Beaulne.
Trenton sealed the victory at 13:25 of the final frame. Breaking in through two Cubs defenders, Thomas Kuipers netted the Hawks’ fifth and final goal of the contest, with Brehmer tallying his second assist of the night.
Trenton’s Sanborn was sharp, stopping 25 of 27 shots, while Chartier and Beaulne combined to make 20 saves on 25 Trenton chances.
With the 5–2 win, the Golden Hawks improve their standing in Pool ‘A’, while the Cubs will need to regroup ahead of their next game. Trenton faces the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm on Tuesday, May 13th at 4:00 p.m (MT), while Greater Sudbury takes on the SIJHL’s Kam River Fighting Walleye on Wednesday, May 14th at 12:00 p.m (MT).
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