Photos by: Allyson Demers
SUDBURY, Ont. – A three-pack of Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) preseason games Friday featured a trio of victories for the visiting teams as the Powassan Voodoos; Hearst Lumberjacks and Blind River Beavers all skated away with road wins.
Powassan Voodoos 8, Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 0: A lopsided result saw the Voodoos soar past the Gold Miners, thanks in part to a Caleb Dawson hat trick and one assist.
Drew Clayton put the Voodoos in flight early in the contest before Dawson notched his initial marker, coming while Powassan was up a skater.
Building on that, the guests blew it open in the second stanza with a five-goal barrage to take command.
Scott Szczgiel began the outburst, while Owen Head, Jacob Grahn and a pair from Dawson added to the onslaught.
They then wrapped it up thanks to a power play marker from Owen Smith midway through the third period.
Preston Charron was credited with three assists in the one-sided affair, with Matthew Lyon and Declan McNamara sharing the netminding duties in posting the shutout for the Voodoos.
The Gold Miners return to the ice Saturday in the first of a weekend home-and-home with the Timmins Rock. Game time is 7 p.m. at ‘The Joe.”
As for the Voodoos, they wrapped up their exhibition schedule with a record of 2-1.
Hearst Lumberjacks 3, Iroquois Falls Storm 2: Hearst rallied from an early two-goal deficit by countering with three unanswered tallies to pull out the road victory.
A solid start put the Storm up by a pair thanks to efforts from Connor Desbois and Arthur Seamus McCown in the first period.
The Lumberjacks pulled to within one after 40 minutes thanks to an Owen Kahl tally.
Cameron Menard then tied it for Hearst 4:27 into the third before Kahl capped off the comeback notching the game-winner with eight and a half minutes to go.
Getting the win in net was Cooper Marsh while just acquired Keenan Connolly was solid in defeat in his debut.
Blind River Beavers 5, Espanola Paper Kings 2: At Espanola, Blind River broke open a tie game with three unanswered markers in the final period to pull out the road decision.
Jake Bond clicked on the power play early in the contest to give the visitors the early lead, before Austin Schultz put the Beavers up 2-0 with an even strength effort at 4:10.
Carter Trudell got one back for the Paper Kings with a man advantage effort of their own, prior to the first intermission.
The home side then drew level with the lone goal of the middle stanza compliments of Carter Drigo.
Still knotted at 2-2 into the third, Caleb Walker clicked on the power play at 8:13 for the eventual game-winner.
Camden Cowan then converted while shorthanded to supply some insurance for Blind River before Walker iced it with an empty netter in the late going to cap off the scoring.
Ian Blair started for the Beavers in net and collected the win while Mason Janicki suffered the defeat for Espanola.
The two clubs will tangle again Saturday in Blind River at 7 p.m.
