Nickel Barons notch key victories against Trappers

Looking to avoid a first-round playoff matchup with one of the two clear-cut frontrunners in the NOJHL, the Sudbury Nickel Barons picked up a key weekend sweep in a home and home set with the North Bay Trappers.

Dylan Callaghan scored a pair of goals Saturday night at the McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff, including the game-winning tally at 8:48 of the second period as Sudbury opened the two-game series with a 4-2 win over North Bay.

August Jarecki and Giovanni Foschia added the remaining goals for the Barons, with Eric Champagne and Ryan Demyen countering for the visitors, both on the power play.

Goaltender Andrew Lefebvre turned aside 35 of the 37 shots he faced, picking up the win for Sudbury, while Evan Cormier was tagged with the loss while making 33 saves of his own.

On Sunday, a first-period marker from Ryan Punkari would stand as Michael Muzyka recorded his first shutout of the year, blanking the Trappers with a 20-save effort.
Kurtis Clouthier and Callaghan picked up the assists on the game's only goal as the Nickel Barons peppered Cormier with a 55-shot barrage at the West Ferris Arena. The victory gives Sudbury a three-point lead in the battle for sixth place, with both the Barons and the Trappers having played 45 games to date.

Coach Jason Young and company face another home-and-home set this week, with a tougher adversary ahead as the local juniors put their record of 14-25-0-6 on the line against the fourth-place Espanola Rivermen (24-17-0-1).

The Barons have lost all four games against the Rivermen this year, though two of them by just a single goal. The teams face off in Copper Cliff at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening, returning to Espanola on Friday night.