Photos: Helene Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Rebounding from an early deficit, the Blind River Beavers stormed back to defeat the Hearst Lumberjacks 6-3 Saturday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at the Blind River Community Centre.
Hearst needed just 90 seconds to open the scoring when Damien Bourdon-Lemoyne put a backhand through the crease that was knocked in by Aiden Kalin on Blind River starter Connor Dunham-Fox.
The Lumberjacks then connected once more, a couple of shifts later, with Tyler Patterson connecting.
Regrouping, the Beavers got on the board with Owen King picking up his initial NOJHL tally at 4:52.
Still 2-1 for the visitors into the middle session, Blind River tied it on an early shorthanded effort that featured Clark Furman wheeling around the Hearst net and setting up Wyatt Gibson, who fired the puck by Alexandre Boivin.
The home side then took the lead at 3:47 as they broke out of their own zone in transition which allowed Jonah McIndoo to fire a cross-crease feed to Aaron Dukeshire, who guided it into the net.
A third in the session saw Beavers extend their cushion as Furman powered his way out from along the end boards and helped get the puck to Levi Lux, who roofed a shot from between the circles.
Hearst moved to within one at 15:17 of the third as Patterson redirected a Julien Trudel attempt from up high that just managed to trickle in.
However, Blind River secured the home ice victory with late empty netters from McIndoo and King to cap off the scoring.
Both teams play again Sunday afternoon as the Beavers will entertain Elliot Lake at 1p.m. while the Lumberjacks head to Espanola for a 2 p.m. matinee.
