When a player earns a hat trick in a game, it’s a cause for celebration. But about when two players from the same team each score a hat trick in a single game? What kind of celebration is held then?
That is exactly the question the Greater Sudbury Cubs have before them today after both Lucas Antonioni and Nolan Newton scored three goals apiece in the team’s big 7-2 road win over the Iroquois Falls Storm at Jus Jordan Arena on Nov. 29.
It was the Cubs’ fifth win in a row, with the team not having lost a game since Nov. 8 when they fell 4-1 to the Soo Eagles. The defending Northern Ontario Hockey League champs are in first place in the league with 37 points, one point ahead of the Soo Thunderbirds.
The Storm opened the scoring on Saturday as Martin Brassard found the back of the net at 2:11, jamming in a loose puck laying at the top of the crease that beat Cubs’ netminder Mateo Beites.
“Tying it up just under six minutes later, Antonioni collected the rebound of a Jacob Signoretti left point shot and tucked it under the pad of Iroquois Falls goalkeeper Alex Hall,” the game report states.
Not quite done yet, Antonioni added another just six minutes later to take the lead 2-1, knocking in rebound off a Caden Dubreuil chance.
Moving onto the second period, Greater Sudbury made it 3-1 on a power play that saw Newton whip in his 20th goal of the season by finishing off a cross-ice give-and-go with Mason Walker.
“More from the same combo, who both ran point streaks to five apiece, saw them click while up a skater again when Newton took a Walker dish down low and cut in front where he made a nifty move before roofing his second of the night at 11:35,” the report states.
With the Cubs up 4-1, the Storm countered quickly after a transition led to a two-on-one that saw Brassard feed Keegan Fox, who went in and ripped a shot upstairs on Beites for his first goal as a Storm.
Going into the third up 4-2, the Cubs still had some scoring left in them.
With Greater Sudbury on a power play, Walker cranked in a one-timer on a five-on-three to make it 5-2.
A few minutes later, Greater Sudbury clicked once more off an odd-man rush, which saw Walker spot Newton going to the net. Newton collected the pass and scored to complete his hat trick.
Antonioni then finished off the scoring with 3:15 remaining as he redirected in a Daks Klinkhammer set-up for his first career NOJHL hat trick.
The victory raises the Cubs’ record to 18-6-1-0 and in defeat, the Storm fall to 8-15-0-2.
Greater Sudbury is back in action today, travelling to Timmins to take on the Rock at McIntyre Arena.