GALLERY: Lumberjacks crown Gold Miners

Photos: Marc Andre Longval

HEARST, Ont. – The Heart Lumberjacks stormed back from an early deficit and notched seven unanswered tallies to defeat the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 7-1 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Friday at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.

Kirkland Lake needed just 12 seconds to strike when Ian McDonald was the beneficiary of a turnover by a Hearst defender, at his own blueline, which allowed the Gold Miners’ forward to cruise down the left side and fire a shot past netminder Ethan Dinsdale.

Going to the power play, the Lumberjacks drew level three minutes later as Zachary Demers sent a perfect cross-ice pass over to a waiting Riley Klugerman, who had most of the net to aim at and made no mistake, leaving the visitor’s starter John Lloyd with little chance on the equalizer.

Up a skater once more, the home side went in front when Tyler Patterson was credited with knocking in a shot from the point by Adam Shillinglaw.

A third Hearst marker in the session came at 15:11, thanks to Klugerman’s second of the period as he took a chip up from Demers and darted down the right wing before firing one past Lloyd.

Adding a fourth on the night, six minutes into the middle frame, Andrew Morton corralled a loose puck in between the hash marks and snapped in a quick shot for his third overall.

The Lumberjacks kept coming and were rewarded when Patterson chipped one in while parked at the top of the crease.

Continuing to click offensively, Demers notched his first of the night as he buried a crisp cross-crease set-up from Cody Walker, while at a sharp angle.

A seventh-straight Hearst goal came three minutes into the third, that was created in large part by Mathieu Comeau, who forced a neutral zone turnover, then powered to the Gold Miners’ net where he left Mason Svarich with a tap-in to round out the night’s scoring.