ESPANOLA – Mack Boyce’s first goal of the season, 3:11 into the first overtime, propelled the Espanola Rivermen to a 4-3 come from behind victory over the Sudbury Nickel Barons Friday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at the Regional Recreation Complex.
With the win the Rivermen secured the No. 3 overall seed in the upcoming playoffs and confirmed that they will meet the same Nickel Barons in a best-of-seven quarter-final series.
Sudbury struck for two tallies from Jonathon Lavigne in a 34-second span to go up a pair before the midway mark of the opening period.
After Espanola’s Daniel Robertson connected on the power play at 13:25, the Nickel Barons’ Austin Veleke chased Rivermen starter Marc Terriault after just 20 minutes as he found the back of the net late in the frame.
Kevin Labelle came in to start the second and the move paid off as Connor Gilmartin started the comeback for the home side scoring twice, once in the first minute along with another in the final minute, to level the proceedings.
After a scoreless third extra time was required when Boyce buried the game-winner and his first marker in an Espanola uniform to give his side the triumph and nail down the third seed and a postseason date with Sudbury.
Blake Peavey and Brennen Dubchak dished out a pair of assists to aid the cause of the winning side.
Labelle registered the win in relief stopping all 19 attempts he faced.
Andrew Lefevbre turned aside 24 of 28 he saw in a losing cause in which his club picked up a point.
