The Greater Sudbury Cubs saw Cameron Walker provide two goals as part of a 4-2 victory over the Espanola Paper Kings Thursday, March 23 in front of a good crowd at the opener of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West Divisional semifinal at T.M. Davies Community Centre & Arena in Lively.
Needing less than two minutes to commence the scoring in the series, Cubs’ defenceman Kyloe Ellis carried the play into the corner and put it in front where Walker had a couple of cracks at it before jamming it past Paper Kings starter Jake Marois.
Coming back to tie it, Espanola drew level when Spencer Horgan sent a high shot from the point that hit off the end glass and bounced back in front and was eventually put in by Jonathan Lush.
Greater Sudbury regained the lead a couple of shifts later thanks to Cameron Shanks, who slammed in a cross-ice set-up from Samuel Assinewai.
Going up by a pair in the second stanza, Marshall McCharles sent Oliver Smith in alone on Marois and saw him neatly tuck a backhand between the legs of the Paper Kings’ goalkeeper at 11:55.
Moving back to within one early in the third, Lucas Signoretti took a side pass from Lush then wired it by Metivier from the right wing at 2:34.
Like they did after the initial Espanola marker, the Cubs countered in short order with Christopher Innes taking the play to the net off a faceoff win and as he was driving wide, he put the puck in front that Walker chipped in from the top of the crease to supply his second of the night.
Metivier and his teammates then shut the door the rest of the way to secure the victory.
The two teams are right back at it Friday with Game 2 going at 7:30 p.m. back at the T.M. Davies Arena.
