Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – A big effort offensively by Hearst Lumberjacks captain Mathieu Comeau helped guide his side to an 8-3 victory over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League outing Sunday at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Coming out with a purpose, the Lumberjacks struck three times in the opening frame to take a 3-0 cushion into the first intermission.
Chase Thompson began the outburst midway through the period when he wired in a cross-ice set-up from Comeau during a power play.
The Hearst combo clicked once more at 12:24 when Thompson swatted in a pass fired across the crease by Comeau.
A Comeau shorthanded effort in the final minute of the session saw him generate a turnover then move in on a two-on-one with Ty McKay before eventually snagging a loose puck behind the net and stuffing it in on Kirkland Lake goalkeeper Brian Rathwell.
Kirkland Lake looked to get one back early in the second as a harmless looking attempt from outside the blueline got past Lumberjacks’ netminder Owen Bonthuis, but the played was ruled by the officials to be offside.
Hearst then went up 4-0 at 3:21 as Henry Ouellet steered in a play put over by Thompson.
The Gold Miners did eventually solve Bonthuis after Ethan Alexander forced a turnover then put the puck across to Josh Underwood who whipped in his first NOJHL goal.
However, Ouellet added another after being sent in alone by Comeau and saw him put a shot off the post that end up bouncing in.
Kirkland Lake got that back with half a game to play as a strong forecheck from Ben Lyons allowed him to tee up Isaiah Allen in the left circle where he fired one through Bonthuis.
Trading tallies, the Lumberjacks’ William Pâquet banged in a rebound off another Comeau chance.
Continuing the onslaught, Thomson completed a hat trick as he jammed one in on netminder Alexandre Gravel who had entered in relief. Rathwell did return to begin the third.
A man advantage effort in the final period for the guests saw Lex Lamontage wheel around the back of the Hearst net and put a pass in front that was banged in by Jake Williams with nine minutes remaining.
The hosts answered that as Mavrik Chan-Miguel knocked in his initial league marker by converting in close to cap off the scoring.
The outcome raises Hearst’s record to 10-3-0-0 and with the defeat, Kirkland Lake drops to 4-5-0-2.
