The Greater Sudbury Cubs strong opening of the 2024-25 season continued when the team made the trip down to Noelville on Sept. 29 to take ok the French River Rapids.
Coming off a strong six-point performance on Sept. 26, Lucas Signoretti once again delivered for the Cubs, notching the game winner to break the tie and give Greater Sudbury the win.
The first period in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest was a scoreless one, with the teams each showing intense pressure in a chippy opener.
“In the middle stanza, the Rapids found the mark three minutes into it when Hunter Vilanez broke out of his own zone down the left wing on a two-on-one where he opted to shoot, but was stopped by the Cubs’ Matthew Vahramian, only to quickly snag the rebound and slam it in,” a game report reads.
The Cubs got on the board at 11:21 of the second, but it took some deliberation between officials before that happened. After the refs consulted, it was determined Greater Sudbury’s Mason Walker had banked in an attempt from behind the goal line that eluded French River netminder Brock Grein, making it a 1-1 game.
“On the power play to commence the third, French River regained the lead after working the play around that led to Ralph Coulis going to the net for a rebound and stuffing in his first NOJHL goal while battling in front,” the report states.
The Cubs bounced back and managed to tie it though at 6:45, after Samuel Assinewai chipped one in while working along the goal line.
Greater Sudbury went into the overtime period up a skater. In scoring the winner, Signoretti made a nice move to his left before whipping in the decider through a screen to end it.
You’ll have a chance to see the Cubs and the 11 other members of the NOJHL in action in Sudbury this week during the league’s Showcase event. For more information on that and a full schedule of games, click here.
