BLIND RIVER - Ryan Wildman scored an even-strength goal, a power-play goal and a short-handed goal Saturday night.
And his second of three goals proved to be the game winner, as the visiting Abitibi Eskimos skated to a 5-2 win over the Blind River Beavers.
The Eskimos jumped on the Beavers early, with Wildman and Brady Clouthier putting Abitibi in front 2-0 before the game was even five minutes old.
Tommy Labrecque and Jacob Kenney earned assists on Wildman’s goal, while Shayne Hiley and Erik Robichaud had helpers on Clouthier’s goal.
Marc Pompei scored a power-play goal for Blind River to cut the Eskimos lead to 2-1 heading into the first intermission.
Wildman’s second goal of the game, the power-play marker and game-winner, put the Eskimos in front 4:50 into the second period.
Andrew Green and Brenden Locke earned assists on the play.
Samuel Wilbur scored a short-handed goal with 31 seconds to play in the second period to cut the Eskimos lead to 3-2 and give the home-town fans a little hope heading into the second intermission.
That hope quickly faded as the third period progressed, however, as Robichaud scored at the 4:58 mark to increase the Eskimos advantage to 4-2.
Hiley and Clouthier had helpers on the goal.
Wildman then completed his hat-trick with his short-handed goal to close out the scoring and make the final 5-2.
Clouthier earned the lone assist on the play.
Sylvain Miron, of the Eskimos, stopped 33 of the 35 shots fired his way to earn the victory.
Dylan Knox, of the Beavers, blocked 38 of the 43 shots he faced to take the loss.
The Eskimos went 1-6 on the power play, while the Beavers were 1-5 with the man advantage.
The victory was the second for the Eskimos during their three-game road trip, following a 5-3 win over Espanola on Friday night.
The Eskimos will visit Sault Ste. Marie for a game against the Thunderbirds Sunday afternoon to wrap up the trip.
ESKIMOS NOTES — The three stars of the game were 1. Wildman, No. 2 Pompei and No. 3 Clouthier … The scratches for the Eskimos included Ben Miller, who is still nursing an injury and Bryce Robert … Official attendance was listed at 202.
