ESPANOLA, Ont. – Riding a hat trick from Nathan Seed, the Hearst Lumberjacks went on to down the Espanola Paper Kings 3-2 Tuesday night in Game 3 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final at the Regional Recreation Complex.
This gives Hearst a 3-0 cushion in the best-of-seven set moving to Game 4 Wednesday back at the Rec. Complex at 7:30 p.m., where they’ll have a chance to wrap-up the series.
The clubs exchanged markers in the opening seven minutes of play, beginning with Paper Kings’ centre Joseph Coates converting at 5:58 as he banked in a backhand off a Lumberjacks’ defender and past netminder Jack Helkie, off a turnover generated by NOJHL Rookie of the Year, Owen Smith.
Hearst wasted little time in pulling even when Seed finished off a goal-mouth scramble on Espanola goalkeeper Logan Vale.
Another one from Seed, eight and half minutes into the second period, saw him tuck in a chance on a two-on-one with Hugo Allard.
Completing his hat trick prior to the intermission, he completed an odd-man rush after being teed up by Mavrik Chan-Miguel.
Third period play saw Graydon Guthrie get Espanola back to within one in the first minute as a Carter Drigo head-man pass sent him in alone on Helkie that he pumped over the blocker of the Lumberjacks’ goaltender.
With the guests holding the edge in shots on goal throughout the evening, some extended pressure and a late extended power play helped Hearst wrap-up the result and give them a commanding lead in the series.
NOJHL quarter-final
No. 3 Hearst Lumberjacks vs. No. 6 Espanola Paper Kings
Game 1: Lumberjacks 4, Paper Kings 3
Game 2: Lumberjacks 7, Paper Kings 0
Game 3: Lumberjacks 3, Paper Kings 2
Game 4: Wednesday, March 25 @ Espanola 7:30 p.m. (Regional Recreation Complex)
Game 5*: Friday, March 27 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
Game 6*: Sunday, March 29 @ Espanola 7 p.m. (Regional Recreation Complex)
Game 7*: Tuesday, March 31 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
*-if necessary
Hearst leads best-of-seven series 3-0
