HEARST, Ont. – Cameron Clark collected two goals in his Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League debut Friday night as the Hearst Lumberjacks doubled up the French River Rapids 4-2 in front of over 700 spectators at Claude Larose Arena.
Hearst out shot French River 12-5 in the first frame, but neither side would be able to find the back of the net in the session.
The Lumberjacks continued to press to commence the middle stanza and were rewarded two and a half minutes in as Daniel Fisher scored in his NOJHL debut.
The Rapids answered back however at 5:15 when Ryan Smith put in his second of the season to knot the affair at 1-1.
Going to the power play helped Hearst to go back on top before the frame was complete as Clark picked up his initial league marker.
It continued to go back and forth in the period with French River drawing level once more as Cooper Bowman joined the first goal club in the NOJHL at 16:26.
Continuing to trade tallies, it was the Lumberjacks’ turn once more, late in the session, with another newcomer to the Hearst line-up in Ryan Hempel making an immediate impression by scoring with 28 seconds to go in the stanza in what was the eventual game-winner.
Hearst then took a two-goal lead in the final frame as Clark clicked once more for his second of the evening at 6:15 to round out the night’s scoring.
David Fisher and Drew Nesbitt chipped in with two helpers each for the home side.
Shots on goal on the night favoured Hearst by a 37-24 count with Nicholas Tallarico picking up the win while Kevin Tardiff suffered the setback.
