Thunder Bay Jr. B/Juvenile/AAA Hockey News
Flames blast Nipigon for first win of the season

Feb. 17--Matt Raynak had a hat-trick as the North End Flames blasted the Nipigon Elks 11-2 Sunday in Thunder Bay Jr. B/Juvenile/AAA Hockey League action at Delaney Arena.

The victory was also the Flames first win of the season as well as their first in league play in almost two years having also defeated Nipigon by a 6-4 score back on Feb. 26, 2006.

It was the visiting Elks who actually opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the contest as Nathan Obert beat North End netminder Mike Skirving.

Raynak then struck twice to put the Flames up for good seven minutes apart later in the opening period and Lukas Olson and Taylor Riley added later tallies to put the Flames up 4-1 after the first.

North End blew it open in the second period scoring five times. Michael Panacheese had two of the markers while Kameron Kuzyk, Olson and Raynak's third of the night were the other marksmen.

Erik Hjorth and Patrick Dowhos added two more goals in the final frame for the Flames and Jarred McDonald-Swazey had the other Nipigon goal.

North End fired 48 shots on Nipigon goalkeepers Ryan Williams and Cody Junttola while Skirving only had to make 14 saves to earn the win.

League play resumes Feb. 21 as the K&A Wolverines and Northern Hawks meet at the Tournament Centre. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

-JRB/JUV/AAA-