Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – A Maxx Hamelin power play goal in the latter stages of the first period held up as the game-winner as the Timmins Rock pulled out a slim 2-1 triumph over the Hearst Lumberjacks in a tightly contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Saturday at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
It was the visiting Rock who connected on the man advantage to open the scoring near the seven-minute mark of the first period when Edan Etheridge pumped in a pass from the left circle that came from behind the goal line off the stick of Evan Katic that beat Lumberjacks’ starter Jack Helkie.
Another extra-man effort put Timmins up by a pair at 16:08 as Hamelin took a feed up top from Matteo Paradiso then moved in on the right side and wired a shot high over the glove Helkie.
The Rock held a big edge in shots in the second period, but it was Hearst who eventually got on the board in the last minute when William Fournier spun down low and spotted Theo Bourdon-Lemoyne alone in front with a pass that he promptly ripped over the glove of goalkeeper Ayden Mullen.
Third period action saw the scoreline remain the same even into the late going when the Lumberjacks pulled Helkie for an extra attacker with over two minutes to play.
However, the guests held firm defensively to pull out the narrow victory.
With the outcome, Timmins improves to 6-0-0-1 on the season while Hearst drops to 3-4-0-0.
