Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
It happens every few years – one of the rarest of stats.
Kole Norris’ first goal of the season gave the Dawson Creek Canucks a 5-4 win over the visiting Fort St. John Flyers Jan. 15.
Norris’ goal was scored with 1:16 left into an empty net with DC leading 4-3 to give them a 5-3 lead. FSJ’s Joey Massingham scored his third goal of the night with 26 seconds left to make it 5-4; therefore, the game-winning goal was scored into an empty net. Tough way for a goalie to take a loss but DC won’t complain.
The win secures at least second place for DC while FSJ can place no higher than third. More importantly, DC increases its lead over Grande Prairie to three points with a game in hand. Should DC win in GP Jan. 17, the race for first place is all over except mathematically.
DC scored first on a goal from Frederick Tanguay only 17 seconds into the game. Massingham scored on a power play later in the period but Dolan Bjornson restored the DC lead before the end of the period.
In the second period, FSJ ran into penalty trouble and DC made them pay. Matt Schmermund and Kevin Swales scored PPGs in the first 10 minutes and DC led 4-1.
Steven Fast scored with 5: 22 left in the period to pull FSJ to within two at 4-2.
In the third, Massingham scored his second of the night – a shorthanded effort only eight seconds into the period. The teams battled through the period before Norris scored into the empty net.
DC has won four of five vs FSJ this season, and outscored FSJ in the five games 30-21.
Flyers 4 at Canucks 5
Tuesday, Jan. 15
First period
1. DC, Frederick Tanguay 1 (Brett Norman, Ryan Friesen) 00:17
2. FSJ, Joey Massingham 9 (Rylan Sideroff, Brandon Pfeil) 5:14 (pp)
3. DC, Dolan Bjornson 7 (Evan Weaver) 18:47
Penalties: Clayton Bahm FSJ (tripping) 3:36, Tyler Reay DC (interference) 4:19, Brett Norman DC (high-sticking) 4:49, Clayton Bahm FSJ (boarding) 16:33.
Second period
4. DC, Matt Schmermund 12 (Dolan Bjornson) 6:13 (pp)
5. DC, Kevin Swales 2 (Matt Schmermund, Jeff Taylor) 9:56 (pp)
6. FSJ, Steven Fast 5 (Ryan Forbes, Reid Campbell) 14:38
Penalties: Rylan Sideroff FSJ (cross-checking) 4:31, Dolan Bjornson DC (roughing) 6:39, FSJ bench minor (too many men, served by Lien Miller-Jeannotte) 8:00, Jeff Shipton FSDJ and Evan Weaver DC (roughing) 11:38, Jaxon Glass FSJ (tripping) 19:59.
Third period
7. FSJ, Joey Massingham 10 (Reid Campbell, Rick Cleaver) 00:08 (sh)
8. DC, Kole Norris 1 (Frederick Tanguay, Brett Norman) 18: 44 (en)
9. FSJ, Joey Massingham 11 (Lien Miller-Jeannotte, Reid Campbell) 19:34
Penalties: Evan Weaver DC (tripping) 3:00, Brett Norman DC (high-sticking) 6:27, Jeff Shipton FSDJ (holding) 15:44.
Shots on goal:
Fort St. John 16 12 13 -41
Dawson Creek 19 16 16 -51 Goaltenders: Flyers, Travis McLean; Canucks, Josh Round.
Power Plays: FSJ 1-5; DC 2-6.
Penalties in Minutes: FSJ 14; DC 12.