Rock rolls into NOJHL semis
At the end of it all it was home ice advantage for the seventh and deciding game that tilted the Timmins Rock towards the semi-finals in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Before a crowd of more than 1,000 fans at venerable McIntyre Arena, the home team from Timmins trimmed the Soo Thunderbirds by a 5-2 score to take the best of seven series four games to three.
The no. 4 seed Rock now rolls into a semi-final set against the no. 3 seed — and arch rival — Hearst Lumberjacks. Timmins and Hearst are annually among the attendance leaders in the NOJHL.
Timmins took a 4-0 lead into the third period of Game 7 before the visitors from Sault Ste. Marie got on the scoreboard with two goals in the space of a minute just past the 12:00 mark. The Rock would then ice the winner take all tilt with an empty net tally.
The NOJHL’s other semi-final series is between the no. 1 seed — and two time reigning champion — Sudbury Cubs and the upstart no. 7 seed Soo Eagles.
photo by Thomas Perry of the Timmins Daily Press
Following is the schedule of games for the Timmins-Hearst series.
Game 1: Thursday, April 2 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
Game 2: Saturday, April 4 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
Game 3: Monday, April 6 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 8 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 5: Friday, April 10 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
Game 6: Monday, April 13 @ Timmins 7 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 7: Wednesday, April 15 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
