Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – Kalyn McQueen’s first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League goal, coming with 7:24 remaining in the third period, proved to be the game-winner as the Blind River Beavers went on to collect a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over the Hearst Lumberjacks Saturday at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Blind River began the scoring four and a half minutes into the match-up as Owen King snapped a shot from the top of the left circle that found its way past Hearst netminder Alexandre Boivin.
Answering with an equalizer midway through the first period, Aiden Kalin connected for the Lumberjacks as he pumped in a short side blast from the left of Beavers’ goalkeeper Bronx Bodnar, off a down-low set-up from Henry Ouellet, to run a point streak to five.
Tied at one into the second stanza, a tight-checking middle session was scoreless to keep it 1-1 after two.
In the third, McQueen collected his memorable marker as Jack Kruiderink snagged a loose puck along the end boards and sent a crisp feed into the slot where the Blind River rookie darted down and hammered it by Boivin for the eventual difference maker.
Bodnar and the Beavers’ defensive corps held firm from there to skate away with the road result.
The win sees them improve to 6-3-1-0 while with the narrow setback, Hearst falls to 6-3-0-0 overall.
