Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – The Hearst Lumberjacks completed a home-and-home sweep of the Iroquois Falls Storm Friday with a 4-2 triumph in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
After winning in Iroquois Falls Thursday, Hearst got the game’s initial tally on this night as they capitalized off a head-man pass up ice that eventually allowed Jack Nolan to snag the puck deep in Storm territory and proceed to wire a short side sizzler over the shoulder of netminder Connor Dunham-Fox, nearly eight minutes into the match-up.
Answering with an equalizer midway through the first period, a solid forecheck allowed Ben Sherwin a couple cracks in close before eventually putting one by a downed Russ Decoste in the Lumberjacks net.
The host came back to retake the lead as Tyler Patterson ran a consecutive game point streak to seven when he took a lengthy pass from Adam Shillinglaw and split the defence then finished off his breakaway by snapping an attempt blocker side at 11:06.
A penalty shot gave the guests a chance to tie it in the second stanza and saw Patrice Lafontaine come in slowly on his opportunity only to be outwaited by Decoste who foiled the chance with a combined glove and pad save.
Iroquois Falls did tie it a minute and a half later on another from Sherwin after a Hearst defender could not control a bouncing puck that allowed the Storm forward to whistle one in from the slot.
Regrouping, the Lumberjacks got the eventual game-winner thanks when Maddoc Newton stick handled a few times then fired a close-range attempt that clipped off Aiden Kalin and eluded Dunham-Fox, blocker side.
Benefiting from a turnover, the hosts added another at 17:35 that was completed by Alex McDonald at the top of the crease.
There was no further scoring the rest of the way as Hearst extended a modest winning streak to three, while moving to 8-8-1-1 on the season.
In defeat, Iroquois Falls fell to 5-14-0-0 overall.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
