Beavers goalie Gavin Disano makes a glove-hand save off a shot from Timmins Rock forward Mason Svarich who was checked closely by Blind River defender Tyler Vorstadt on the play during Friday night’s NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena. Svarich, playing his first game in a Rock uniform, scored three goals and assisted on another to help his new team post a 6-2 win over the Beavers. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
Mason Svarich scored three goals — including the game-winner — and set up another tally to help lead the Timmins Rock to a 6-2 win over the Blind River Beavers at the McIntyre Arena Friday night.
It was the Stony Plain, Alta., product’s first game back in the NOJHL after he was acquired from the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks in exchange for a player development fee on Sunday.
“I definitely can’t complain about this one, but it was a good team effort all the way through for us,” Svarich said, when asked if he could have imagined a better start to his Rock career.
“The PK (penalty kill) came up big for us at the end and it was a big win for us.”
Svarich didn’t have much individual success at the McIntyre Arena during the 2022-23 campaign with the Hearst Lumberjacks.
“It was definitely a tough building to come into (last year) and it is definitely a whole lot more fun to be on this side of it,” he said.
As impressive as Svarich’s four-point night was, he actually came close to adding to his goal total on a couple of occasions.
“The first couple, the puck ended up right on my stick in front of the net, so it would have been tough to mess those ones up,” he said.
“Hopefully, I was able to save a few more for next game.”
Liam Wells got the Rock on the scoreboard first 1:43 into the contest when he scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season.
Just over two minutes later, Svarich added a power-play marker, his first goal of the game and season to increase the Rock advantage to 2-0.
“It was kind of a set play off the face-off,” he said.
“I was set up for the one-timer on the power play and I had all day to shoot it. I was just trying not to hit somebody in front and it ended up working out.”
The Beavers got that one back before the end of the frame, however, as Clark Furman collected his second goal of the season.
Svarich’s second tally of the game and season restored the Rock’s two-goal advantage 29 seconds into the middle frame.
“I just lifted the guy’s stick, turned and tried to get it on net as quick as I could and it ended up going in five-hole,” he said.
That 3-1 lead held up through the second intermission and it took just 49 seconds for Svarich to complete his hat-trick and increase the Rock advantage when the puck dropped to start action the third period.
“Tee (Tenzin Nyman) made a great play coming down the wall and shooting on the far pad,” he said.
“It (the rebound) was right on my stick out front and it worked out well for me.”
Harry Clark’s power-play marker, his third goal of the season, then put the Rock in front 5-1 six-and-a-half minutes later.
The Beavers managed to close the gap somewhat thanks to Michael Gallagher’s 10th goal of the season at the 11:26 mark.
Any hopes the visitors might have had about a comeback were dashed, however, when Jack Anderson scored his second goal of the season with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the contest, to make the final 6-2 in favour of the Rock.
Svarich’s chemistry with his new teammates is a little surprising given he had just one practice with the Rock prior to Friday night’s contest.
“Hopefully, I can bring more of what we saw today,” he said, when asked what he hopes to contribute to the Rock.
“I don’t know if that many goals are going to be scored every game, but hopefully I can help these guys win another (NOJHL) championship.
“That’s the goal at the end of the day.”
Rock goalie Dryden Riley stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced to pick up his third win of the season.
Gavin Disano, who turned aside 20 of the 26 shots the Rock directed his way, was tagged with the loss for the Beavers.
NOJHL NOTES — The Daily Press three stars of the game were Svarich, Riley and Wells … The Rock went 2-5 on the power play, while the Beavers were 0-1 with the man advantage … Official attendance at the McIntyre Arena was 1,060 … Friday’s other action saw the Soo Eagles edge the Lumberjacks 4-3 in Hearst and the Voodoos thump the Elliot Lake Vikings 8-1 in Powassan … The Rock will return to action on Sunday when they host the Eagles at the McIntyre Arena, at 3 p.m.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
