Timmins Rock forward Matteo Paradiso gets off a shot past Gold Miners forward Tysen Andersen during Thursday night’s NOJHL contest at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in Kirkland Lake. The Gold Miners went on to edge the Rock 3-2 in a shootout. Photo by ALLYSON DEMERS /NOJHL Network
With five of a possible six points in three-straight road games to start the season, most coaches would be happy
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
KIRKLAND LAKE — The Timmins Rock managed to salvage a single point while suffering their first setback of 2026-27, a 3-2 shootout loss to the Gold Miners at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex, Thursday night.
The Rock, who had opened the NOJHL campaign with a 4-1 win over the Storm in Iroquois Falls and a 7-1 win over the Paper Kings in Espanola, will play their home opener against the Soo Thunderbirds at the McIntyre Arena, on Friday, at 7 p.m.
They will then entertain the French River Rapids at the McIntyre Arena, on Sunday, at 1 p.m.
Rock coach and general manager Sheldon Reasbeck was not totally happy with what he saw from his squad Thursday night.
“It wasn’t our best (effort) tonight,” he said. “We started playing too late. We started playing in the second period. After having two games where we won 4-1 and 7-1, we came into this game thinking it was point night again and we cheated the game a little bit.”
The coach didn’t, however, think his squad’s success against the Gold Miners during the previous five seasons had anything to do with the outcome of the contest.
“No, not really, because Kirkland Lake beat us two games in a row at the end of the (2025-26) season,” Reasbeck said.
“Honestly, I thought we were ready to go in the first period, but little things we got away with the last two games, kind of bit us in the butt.”
It took two extra shootout rounds to settle the outcome of Thursday night’s contest.
The initial three rounds left things tied up, as Rock captain Maxx Hamelin buried his squad’s second attempt, while Gold Miners forward Owen O’Grady found the back of the Timmins net on his team’s third attempt.
The Rock’s first and third shooters, Matteo Paradiso and Evan Katic, were stopped by Kirkland Lake goalie Asher Ammann, while Timmins goalie Logan Coates turned aside the efforts of Kirkland Lake’s first two shooters, Yosef Pievsky and Nathan Harper.
Ashton Beriana gave the Rock the advantage in Round 4, but his goal was matched by Gold Miners shooter Ben Lyons.
Ammann stopped Rock shooter Edan Etheridge in Round 5, with Lucas Dubois beating Coates for what would prove to be the game-winning goal for the Gold Miners.
A slow start, punctuated by too many miscues, resulted in the Rock falling behind 2-0 in the opening period.
Lyons’ second goal of the campaign and Koen Tremblay’s first NOJHL tally staked the Gold Miners to their advantage in a frame that saw them outshoot the Rock 15-12.
The Rock finally got rolling in the middle frame, as they fought back to tie things up.
Tannen Iserhoff, who spent time with the Greater Sudbury Cubs (17, 6-1-7, 10) in 2024-25, netted his first goal of the season to get the Rock on the scoreboard four-and-a-half minutes into the period.
Rock Oosterveld followed with his first goal of the season less than a minute later.
The Rock rally bogged down at that point, however, as Ammann and Coates shut the door through the remainder of the middle frame, the third period and five minutes of overtime — paving the way for the shootout.
With five of a possible six points in three-straight road games to start the season, most coaches would be happy.
“We want every point we can get, right, but it is over now and we focus on the next game,” Reasbeck said. “It will be our home opener, so there are going to be lots of emotions.”
Despite the loss, there were some Rock players who caught the eye of their coach in a positive light.
“Philippe Lafontaine had a great game for us today, on both sides of the puck and on the PK (penalty kill), as well,” Reasbeck said. “He was very solid and creative in the offensive zone five-on-five and just a dog on the PK.
“Rock Oosterveld, as well, had his first Junior ‘A’ goal tonight. He is coming into his own in this league, so it was nice to see.”
Iserhoff, who spent time with the Cross Lake Islanders, of the KJHL, in Manitoba last season has been living in Timmins and contacted the coach about trying out for the Rock.
“He is a super skilled player who obviously has to get his foot speed up to par,” Reasbeck said. “He didn’t play very many games last year (4, 3-3-6, 2). He is a big, physical, super skilled forward.”
The 2006-birth-year Moosonee product is listed at 6-0 and 190 pounds.
Forward Thomas Ranger made his Rock debut Thursday night after he was acquired from the EOJHL’s Casselman Vikings in exchange for a player development fee, on Monday.
“He is obviously skilled and fast,” Reasbeck said. “He had a little bit of an adjustment period in the first period, with the physicality of playing Junior ‘A’ hockey and the speed of the game, as well, but he is going to be great for us. He only had three practices with us and then it was go time.”
At 5-9 and 170 pounds, the 2009-birth-year Ranger, who hails from St-Eugene, does not have the imposing physical frame Iserhoff brings to the squad.
Ammann turned aside 50 of the 52 shots the Rock directed his way in 65 minutes of action to earn his second win of the season in two starts for the Gold Miners.
Coates, who stopped 45 of the 47 shots he faced in 65 minutes of action, was tagged with the loss for the Rock.
NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of the game were Ammann, Dubois and Coates … The Rock went 0-1 on the power play, while the Gold Miners were 0-5 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex was 270 … The Rock will host the Soo Thunderbirds at the McIntyre Arena, on Friday, at 7 p.m., and the French River Rapids, on Sunday, at 1 p.m.
