Skyhawks forward Mitchell Davis (left #18) goes to the net in front of NOJHL veteran netminder Billy Stone. Photo by Chris Dawson. The North Bay Skyhawks took two periods to wake up on Sunday night, but once they did the goals came easy.
Skyhawks forward Mitchell Davis (left #18) goes to the net in front of NOJHL veteran netminder Billy Stone. Photo by Chris Dawson.
The North Bay Skyhawks took two periods to wake up on Sunday night, but once they did the goals came easy. The Skyhawks topped the Blind River Beavers 5-3 after going down 3-0 in the first period. It was the second comeback in as many nights as North Bay scored three late goals on Saturday night to defeat the Abitibi Eskimos by the same 5-3 score.
Tyler Liukkonen got the Beavers on the board first with a softy. His wrist shot from the point somehow found its way past Skyhawks goaltender Riley Ross. The Beavers spent much of the first period on the power play as the Skyhawks took 6 minor penalties. Liukkonen took advantage of the extra ice and potted his second marker of the period just before a Ryan Loach hooking minor expired. Owen Peltier scored the third marker for the Beavers on a wrap around late in the period.
Jeff Michael replaced Ross to start the second but that didn’t seem to spark the Skyhawks. The Beavers did a good job of shutting down the ‘Hawks top line of Loach, Dustin Fummerton and Solomon McCann, limiting their chances to outside shots. The remaining lines didn’t manage many chances either, seemingly biding their time until the top unit got going.
“Guys were looking to Fum, McCann and Loachy to do it” said Skyhawks head coach Ian Swalucynski after the game. “I told them that their not going to do it every night, so who wants to do it (tonight),” he added.
Swalucynski would not reveal what else he said to the team during the second intermission in order to remain tactful, however it definitely stirred his squad. The team came out in the third and peppered Beavers net-minder Billy Stone with 19 shots; more than double their total from the first two periods combined.
Trent Lizee got the ‘Hawks on the board early in third making a nice move on stone after being left alone in front of the net. Scott Britton banged home the next goal on a scramble in front to pull North Bay within one only five minutes in.
The second and third lines continued their success when Tyler Hummel tipped in an Andrew Glasser point shot to tie up the contest before the midway mark of the period. Lizee set up captain Kody Carnevale for the eventual game winner on a 2 on 1 less than a minute after the Hummel marker. Hummel added the insurance marker on play set up by his brother Brad from behind the net.
The coach spoke very highly of his second, third and fourth lines after the game and pointed to Lizee as the games difference maker.
“Lizee made 3 big hits, took a big hit, he stirred up the whole team; everybody on their (team) knew who he was. He was a leader… he stepped up, our captain stepped up, it was a team effort.” said Swalucynski. Lizee, who was goalless through the first nine games of the year, has now scored in 6 straight games. He credits hard work and finding his game again for his recent success.
“I haven’t played hockey since last march so I was figuring out how the stick worked again and get my skates under me,” he said of his play early on in the season.
Britton, Glasser, Kyle Radigan and Brad Hummel each had two assists for the Skyhawks while Lizee and Carnevale each had a single helper.
Alex Falardeau had two assists for the Beavers in a losing cause. David McCaig and Cody Cousineau had the other helpers for Blind River.
Michael stopped all 18 shots he faced in relief off Ross, Stone finished with 28 saves on 33 shots for the Beavers.
First Star went to Tyler Hummel while Glasser and Liukkonen were second and third stars respectively.
The Skyhawks have a busy weekend ahead of them with 3 games in as many nights. They will face the two Sault. Ste Marie franchises on back to back nights starting on Friday before returning home to host the Temiscaming Royals on Sunday night.
