Powassan rallies to edge Kirkland Lake 4-3 for 18th consecutive victory

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Friday, Dec. 2, 2016

Powassan rallies to edge Kirkland Lake 4-3 for 18th consecutive victory

KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – A Tyson Gilmour power play marker with 68 seconds remaining in regulation helped the Powassan Voodoos rally from a three-goal deficit and pull out a narrow 4-3 victory over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Friday to give them their 18th consecutive Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League win in succession in a game held at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.

It was all Gold Miners in the opening 20 minutes of the contest as the home side stormed out to an early 3-0 lead.

Michael Hans’ first NOJHL tally put Kirkland Lake in front 5:03 into the game while Kevin Ford made it 2-0 just 30 seconds later.

The Gold Miners kept coming and added another late on the frame as Ford collected his second of the night and 20th overall at 18:34.

While Kirkland Lake dominated the scoreboard in the first, it was Powassan who countered in the middle session as they struck for three tallies of their own to knot the affair at 3-3 after 40 minutes.

Up a man early in the second allowed the Voodoos to get on the board at 3:37 as Andy Baker collected his league-leading 26th goal of the season.

The visitors then came right back and pulled to with one on the next shift thanks to Gary Mantz’s 22nd of the campaign.

Shorthanded, Powassan tied things up midway through the stanza as Parker Bowman beat new Gold Miners’ goaltender Ridge Gerads, who was making his NOJHL debut.

The score stayed 3-3 into the latter stages of the contest, when the Voodoos won it during a late man advantage opportunity as Gilmour buried the game-winner to extend his club’s impressive winning streak to 18 in succession.

William Mizuik had two assists for the Gold Miners in defeat.

Powassan outshot Kirkland Lake 49-24 on the night with Nate McDonald registering the win while Gerads turned in a solid 45-save effort in the setback.