THUNDER BAY – The Northwest Explorers went all in on offence when formulating a plan of attack for the Ontario Winter Games hockey tournament.
They got plenty of it in their opener, a 6-2 win on Saturday morning over the Credit River Capitals.
They also got plenty of help at the other end of the ice, goaltender Kainaan MacGillivray making 34 saves, including a pair of diving stops that had eyes for the back of the net.
Jace Voortman, who scored back-to-back goals in the second to break open a 2-2 tie, and Owen Trevisanutto had two goals apiece for the Explorers, while Cooper Disher, the son of former NHL draft pick Jason Disher, dished out four helpers and leads all players in points after one game at the four-team event.
It was a big win, Voortman said.
“It’s amazing. We came here this morning and we didn’t know what to expect. It’s our first game. Most of us were (at the Games) last year, but there are a couple of new guys. We came out, we played together and we ended up with the W,” Voortman said.
Ed Atwill, called on to coach the Explorers said there was a lot to like about his team’s performance, the game played in front of about 250 fans at Fort William Gardens.
“They’re a creative group, but they also compete really hard. And when you combine those things, and you get goaltending like we got, it allows the kids to be creative and if we make some mistakes along the way, the goaltender played great to back us up,” Atwill said.
Trevisanutto opened the scoring 5:52 into the first, but Credit River’s Evan Bannister got the equalizer on a breakaway, moving to MacGillivray’s left and firing the puck into the open net.
Defenceman Noah Janeiro put the Capitals in front 2-1 on a sharp-angled shot, but the lead lasted just seven minutes.
Northwest forward Felix Sapay picked up the puck at centre ice, outraced a Credit River defender and slammed a backhand past Capitals goaltender William Crackower, good on 22 of 28 shots he faced.
Voorman’s first came on the power play, a high wrist shot that sailed, his second just 84 seconds later, in the final minute of the second, grabbing a Disher rebound and popping it home for a 4-2 Northwest lead.
Trevisanutto and Brady Nash scored in the third to put the game away.
Voortman said they did what they had to do to win.
“They outshot us, but we buried our opportunities,” he said.
Being down a goal wasn’t a concern, Voortman added.
“Mistakes happen and I think that was just mistake. We came back next shift. We knew our what our job was and we were good.”
The Explorers are back on the Gardens ice on Saturday night, when they take on Ottawa Myers Automotive. Ottawa dropped a 2-0 decision to Team NOHA on Saturday morning, the Sudbury team getting goals from Seth Verbiwski in the first and Cole Guizzetti in the third. Levi Inch earned the shutout in nets.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Northwest, Trevisanutto (Disher) 5:52. 2. Credit River, Bannister 1 (unassisted) 11:58. Penalties: Nash NWE (cross checking) 0:57.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Credit River, Janeiro 1 (Gout) 3:57. 4. Northwest, Sapay 1 (unassisted) 10:18. 5. Northwest, Voortman 1 (Glousher, Disher) 12:47 pp. 6. Northwest, Voortman 2 (Trevisanutto, Disher) 14:11. Penalties: Bowen NEW (interference) 2:16, Morra CRC (tripping) 11:27.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 7. Northwest, Trevisanutto 2 (Disher) 3:40 pp. 8. Northwest, Nash (Glousher) 7:56 Penalties: Janeiro CRC (hooking) 3:13, Drennan CRC (slashing0 13:00, Pucci NWE (roughing) 10:27.
GAME DATA – SOG – Northwest 10-6-12-28, Credit River 6-14-16-36 Power plays (goals-chances) – Northwest (2-3), Credit River (0-3); Goaltenders – Northwest: Kainaan MacGillivray, Credit River: William Crackower; A: 250 (estimated).
