Photos: Tanner Wallace (Tan Tan Photography)
POWASSAN, Ont. – Led by a three-goal night from Jax Pereira, the Powassan Voodoos used that offensive outburst to defeat the Hearst Lumberjacks 6-4 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Friday at the Powassan Sportsplex.
With the victory, the Voodoos take sole possession of second place in the overall NOJHL standings, improving to 35-13-1-2, two points clear of the 34-13-0-3 Lumberjacks.
It was the Voodoos who took the lead seven and a half minutes into the contest when Pereira pumped in a chance from the slot, put to him off the skate of Ryan Saginaw, past Lumberjacks’ netminder Jack Helkie.
Collecting the second assist on the tally was Powassan defenceman Bruce Grey, who was skating in his 150th NOJHL game.
More from Pereira saw him finish off a cross-ice feed from Anthony Boyes, during a man advantage, for his second of the period at 10:14.
Carrying their cushion into the middle session, the home side clicked on another man advantage early on thanks to Marcus Krats, who went coast-to-coast on an impressive rush before beating Helkie at 1:21.
Hearst eventually solved Powassan starter Derrick Champagne, while on a man advantage, as Matheau Comeau collected his 30th of the season, as he pinballed a shot off a couple of defenders and in.
Pulling to within one, the Lumberjacks got another, via the power play at 12:34, thanks to Chase Thompson, who cranked in a one-timer off a crisp cross-crease feed from Comeau.
Regrouping, a third Powassan extra-man effort put them up 4-2 as defenceman Braeden Begley moved to the middle along the blueline and picked the bottom right corner on Helkie, from distance.
However, Hearst came right back to inch closer once more when Hugo Allard picked off an errant clearing attempt and fed Mavrik Chan-Miguel, who whipped it by Champagne.
The goals kept coming from there as the sixth in the stanza saw Pereira pot his third of the evening as he neatly redirected in a Krats backhand that he had lobbed towards the net from up top.
Heading to the third period, Powassan picked up some insurance with under eight minutes remaining thanks to Heath Bradley who darted in on a breakaway and got just enough of his opportunity to squeeze it across the goal line.
Thompson did get one final marker for his side in the final minute as he put in a loose puck lying in the crease to wrap it up.
