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Photos: Rob Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – The surging Greater Sudbury Cubs skated to their 13th Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory in a row Thursday night by defeating the Espanola Paper Kings 6-3 in a penalty-filled affair at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Converting on the power play, Greater Sudbury opened the scoring midway through the first period when Nolan Newton pumped in a one-timer off a crisp feed from Jacob Signoretti while parked to the left of Espanola netminder James Meredith.
The tally gives Newton points in all nine games he has appeared in this season, as well as etching his name on the game sheet in 15 consecutive contests, dating back to the 2023-24 campaign.
Meanwhile, Samuel Assinewai collected the second assist on the play, which gives him points in 15 in succession.
Going up by a pair, the Cubs’ Mason Walker snagged the puck along the side boards, then wheeled into the slot where he sent a sizzler past the glove of Meredith at 15:41.
Moving to the middle frame, the Paper Kings got on the board a minute and a half in, thanks to Jack Anderson, who took a pass between the circles from Cameron Menard and whipped it past goaltender Noah Beaulne.
That snapped a lengthy run of 148 minutes and 51 seconds the Cubs had without allowing a goal-against Espanola.
Coming right back on a man advantage, Lucas Signoretti provided a perfect set-up across to Noah Kohan, who slammed it upstairs into an open net.
The tally sees Kohan and Signoretti extend point streaks to eight and 10, respectively.
Continuing his torrid pace, Signoretti made it 4-1 and scored for a sixth straight outing with a wrister off the post and in with half a game to play, in collecting his league-leading 34th marker.
Liam Rampersad brought Espanola back to within two later in the period when he wired one from the high slot for his first of the season.
A chance to get another was foiled by Beaulne who stymied Jason Galante on a shorthanded breakaway.
The Paper Kings did get a man-down marker right after that though, thanks to Kaden Wicklander converting off a Greater Sudbury turnover.
However, the home side countered while down two skaters when Kohan picked off a play in his own zone and darted in alone from distance and after a cut to his left, slid the puck past the pad of Meredith with 15 seconds left in the stanza.
In the third, another shorthanded effort helped wrap-up the result for Greater Sudbury when Jacob Lamoureux finished off a steal from a Espanola defender by teammate Ben Harris.
With the outcome, the Cubs improve to a league-best 27-2-1-1, while with the loss, the Paper Kings fall to 9-16-2-1.
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