ESPANOLA, Ont. – A Carter Mullen marker four minutes into the third period held up as the game-winner as the Espanola Paper Kings went on to defeat the Hearst Lumberjacks 5-3 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee at the Regional Recreation Complex.
After the Paper Kings had some early chances to convert, it was the Lumberjacks who opened the scoring when a feed ahead by Theo Bourdon-Lemoyne sent Dylan Westmann in alone on a breakaway where he snapped a shot past Espanola netminder Cameron Millar 9:34 into the contest.
The tally by Westmann gives him goals in each of his first three NOJHL games.
Coming back to tie it in transition at 14:46, home side drew level as Denver Mulligan got the last touch as he chipped in a loose puck over a sprawled Jack Helkie in the Hearst net.
Following the fast-paced first period, the Paper Kings took the lead on the tail-end of a power play that saw Colton Loiselle find the back of the net in the middle stanza.
Extending the lead at 7:19, newcomer Ryan Atkins collected his initial league goal by wiring a high, short side, attempt through bodies over the shoulder of Helkie, while shooting from the right circle.
Still 3-1 for the hosts into the third, they padded their cushion off a strong forecheck that led to Mullen finishing off a shot from the left circle.
The visitors countered that a couple of shifts later thanks to Benjamin Kuhl knocking in a rebound in close off a Julien Trudel point shot to open his league goal-scoring ledger.
Building on that, Hearst inched closer right after that when another initial tally saw Bruce Shier connect as he whipped in a cross-ice feed off the stick of Trudel.
Getting Helkie out for an extra attacker in an effort to tie it with 2:22 to go, the Lumberjacks comeback bid fell short when Emerson De Giacomo iced it for the Paper Kings with a long range empty netter to secure his club’s first win of the season.
