NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, March 20, 2015
Soares OT hero as Gold Miners force Game 6
KIRKLAND LAKE – Luc Soares’ second goal of the game, 12:47 into the first overtime, lifted the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners to a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Powassan Voodoos Friday evening in Game 5 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Division semifinal at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
With the win the Gold Miners now trail the best-of-seven set 3-2 and have forced at least a sixth game in the series, which will be played Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Powassan Sportsplex.
Should Kirkland Lake also prevail in that one, Game 7 would be played Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at The Joe.
Ryan Aubertin got the Gold Miners going with his first of the night three minutes into the contest before Soares made it 2-0 at 6:18 to put the home side up a pair.
Powassan’s power play cut the deficit in half at 15:42 of the first thanks to a Jake Staples unassisted effort.
Aubertin countered that with his fourth of the postseason 44 seconds into the second stanza as the home side took a 3-1 lead.
Staples brought the visitors closer at 12:12 of the session only to see Kirkland Lake captain Ethan Strong hammer home his third tally of the series to put the Gold Miners in front by two.
The Voodoos battled back in the third to force extra time as Michael Silveri connected at 5:35 before Bo Peltier tied it with a man advantage marker with just 13 seconds remaining in regulation.
A thrilling overtime saw Kirkland Lake pot the winner on a quick transition from their blue line where Charles Bruneau-Crete sent Joel Fortin skating down the right side who fired a pass in front to a hard-charging Soares who chipped the game-winner over the pad of Powassan netminder Matt Young to end it.
Zach Pease and Steven Babin had two assists apiece to aid the Gold Miners cause.
Josh Erickson faced 27 shots in the Kirkland Lake net and suffered the loss.
Young saw 23 attempts fired his way in defeat.
East Semifinal 1
No. 1 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners vs. No. 4 Powassan Voodoos
Voodoos lead best-of-seven 3-2
Game 1: Powassan 6 Kirkland Lake 3
Game 2: Kirkland Lake 4 Powassan 2
Game 3: Powassan 6 Kirkland Lake 2
Game 4: Powassan 4 Kirkland Lake 3
Game 5: Kirkland Lake 5 Powassan 4 (OT)
Game 6: Sunday, March 22 @ Powassan 7:30 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 7*: Tuesday, March 24 @ Kirkland Lake 7:30 p.m. (Joe Mavrinac)
*-if necessary
