COCHRANE, Ont. – The Timmins Rock saw Henry Brock tally twice Thursday afternoon as part of a 6-3 triumph over the Cochrane Crunch in a rare Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League mid-week matinee at Tim Horton Event Centre.
The visiting Rock began the day on a tally by their captain Tyler Schwindt as he came out from behind the goal line and had a couple of chances before eventually putting one past Crunch netminder Michael Nickolau, for his team-leading 30th of the season.
Countering with an equalizer off a face off win, Cochrane’s Joshua Liu blasted a one-timer from the point that flew past Timmins starter Konrad Simard, blocker side, for his first NOJHL goal.
Regaining the lead with just over four minutes left in the initial frame, as some strong corner work from Brock and Tyler Gilberds helped Riley Brousseau whip one in from the left side.
Adding another to take a 3-1 lead to the intermission, Brock buried a rebound after defenceman Cameron Dutkiewicz cranked a shot from up high, during a late power play that was converted at 19:09.
Moving to the middle stanza, the free-flowing session did not provide any goals as the clubs headed to the third period with Timmins still up by a pair.
Adding some insurance, via the man advantage, the Rock extended their cushion when Dutkiewicz lifted one upstairs on a screened Nickolau from inside the blueline.
They then saw Brock convert again as his second of the afternoon came as he spun in front and neatly picked the corner while going blocker side, giving him four markers in his past two contests.
Timmins then went up by five as Eric Moreau pinched in from the point and finished off a Nolan Ring set-up.
Getting one back, while up a skater midway through the period, Cale Anderson clicked by stuffing in a rebound as he was parked to the left of Simard.
The Crunch power play provided yet another goal after that with Liam Boswell skating out and firing a shot into the top right hand corner to notch what proved to be the day’s final marker.
In collecting the victory, Simard won his 10th straight appearance, improving to 10-0-0-0 on the campaign while Nickolau, in defeat, faced 40-plus shots against for the 23rd time this season.
