Timmins Rock forward Mason Svarich celebrates the first of his three goals on the night as the puck rolls around behind Iroquois Falls Storm goalie during the first period of Friday’s NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena. Svarich’s 26th goal of the season put the Rock in front 2:39 into the contest. They went on to defeat the storm 10-2. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS jpg, TD, apsmc
Mason Svarich’s hat-trick ignited the Timmins Rock offence in a 10-2 victory over the Iroquois Falls Storm at the McIntyre Arena Friday night.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
TIMMINS, Ont. – Svarich, who now has a team-leading 28 goals on the season, had been averaging a goal a game prior to the NOJHL’s Christmas break, but he has upped that pace to two-and-a-half markers per contest since the calendar turned to 2024.
“I would like to say yes, but unfortunately I don’t think that is going to be the case,” he said, when asked if he thought he could maintain that pace through the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs.
“I just go out there every night and try to put pucks in the net, win games, that’s what we have been doing.”
Indeed, the Rock have scored 10 goals in each of their two games since the break, earning wins in Kirkland Lake Sunday and at home Friday night.
The Rock’s No. 1 line, with Svarich (three goals, one assist), Harry Clark (four assists) and Nolan Ring (two goals, one assist), once again set the pace against the Storm.
“It is certainly fun now that we have Ringer back (from injury),” Svarich said.
“We like playing together and it is working, we are putting pucks in the net.”
Svarich got the party started Friday night when he scored his 26th goal of the season 2:39 into the contest.
“Clarkie made a good kick out on the zone, I beat their D-man and put the puck up over the blocker,” he said.
Liam Wells added his 21st goal of the campaign 11 minutes later and the feeding frenzy was on.
It took just 48 seconds for Hayden Rynard to increase the Rock advantage to 3-0 when he netted the first of his two goals in the game and fifth of the season.
It looked like the Storm might escape the opening from trailing by just three goals and get a chance to regroup during the first intermission, but the Rock took advantage of a late power-play opportunity, with Ring scoring the first of his two goals on the night and ninth of the campaign with 10 seconds remaining on the clock.
The intermission did little to slow the Rock momentum, as Svarich netted his second of the night and 27th of the season 1:03 into the middle frame.
“Ringer gave it to me in the slot and I pretty much just redirected it in,” he said.
Ryan Armitage added his sixth goal of the season two-and-a-half minutes later.
Then, Rynard tacked on his second of the night and sixth of the season to make it a 7-0 hockey game.
That spelled the end of Storm starting goalie Brodie Haylock’s night, with Connor Hatfield at the 6:40 mark of the second period.
Like the first intermission that move did nothing to slow down the Rock’s momentum.
Jack Kelly scored a power-play marker, his third goal of the season, just shy of the midway mark in the frame.
Svarich then completed his hat-trick five minutes later when he scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season.
“Clarkie hit me with a good pass out front and I just out waited the goalie,” he said.
Ring’s second goal of the night and 10th of the campaign then extended the Rock lead to 10-0 with just under five minutes to play in the period.
The Storm finally got on the scoreboard 26 seconds later when Mathieu Roy beat Rock goalie from in close for his fourth goal of the season.
Andrew Scott then added a power-play marker, his third goal of the season midway through the third period to close out the scoring.
While Svarich found the back of the Storm net three times Friday night, he had a number of other quality chances later in the contest, as well, that just wouldn’t go in.
“He (Hatfield) did a great job after he came in,” he said.
With the one-sided score it would have been easy for frustrations to boil over but referees Cory Hofferd and Jean Belliveau did a good job of keeping things under control.
“We were just trying to play our game, stay out of the box,” Svarich said.
Riley stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced to earn his 12th win of the season.
Haylock, who turned aside 14 of the 21 shots the Rock directed his way in his 26:40 of work, was tagged with the loss. Hatfield blocked 11 of the 14 shots he faced in his 33:20 of relief.
NOJHL NOTES — The Daily Press three stars of the game were Svarich, Rynard and Ring … The Rock went 2-5 on the power play, while the Storm were 1-2 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the McIntyre Arena was 1,096 … Friday’s other action saw the Hearst Lumberjacks edge the Gold Miners 3-2 in overtime in Kirkland Lake, the Espanola Paper Kings top the Eagles 5-3 in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and the Soo Thunderbirds double up the Elliot Lake Vikings 6-3 in Massey … The Rock will travel to Hearst for a game against the Lumberjacks on Sunday, at 4 p.m. The next home game will be on Friday when the Rock will host the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners at the McIntyre Arena, at 7:30 p.m.
