Photos: Hélène Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Backed by the initial Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League shutout from goaltender Justin Sullivan, the Blind River Beavers went on to blank the Hearst Lumberjacks 4-0 Saturday at the Blind River Community Centre.
Breaking out of their own zone with numbers, the Beavers began scoring just over two minutes into the proceedings when Camden Cowan took a pass over from Ryder Hill and ripped it past a blocked-out William Stonehouse in the Lumberjacks net.
Taking a 2-0 lead at 13:07 of the first, Blind River defenceman Leighton Hurst fed fellow D-man Mattis Lafond in the left circle, where he moved in, and finished off his eighth of the campaign.
Then on the power play later in the session, Hill put the Beavers up by three as he worked a give-and-go with Caleb Walker and pumped a chance high into the top right-hand corner.
Heading to the second stanza, neither side would convert offensively as the home side carried their 3-0 cushion into the second intermission.
Action in the third saw the Beavers add some insurance on a five-on-three, and with an additional skater on a delayed penalty, Walker wired his 15th of the season at 8:52, in what proved to be the evening’s final goal.
Sullivan did the rest to preserve the shutout and help keep Blind River in playoff contention.
The result raises the Beavers overall record to 16-30-0-4.
With a fourth straight loss, the Lumberjacks drop to 33-12-0-3.
