Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – Emerson De Giacomo’s second goal of the game, coming 3:21 in overtime, capped off a five-point night for himself Friday as the Espanola Paper Kings dropped the Hearst Lumberjacks 6-5 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair held at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Potting his NOJHL-leading 17th goal of the season, moments into a man advantage, the Lumberjacks’ Cameron Menard chipped in a bouncing puck from a sharp angle past a surprised Cameron Millar in the Paper Kings net, 7:33 into the proceedings.
Special teams saw Espanola answer with a shorthanded goal, and another via the power play, to take a 2-1 lead.
Carter Makasoff knocked in a De Giacomo pass by Hearst starter Jack Helkie after they generated a turnover while down a skater, then saw Carter Drigo collect a loose puck in the slot and whip it through a screen.
Running a point streak to 10, Luc Warner drew the home side level at 17:37 as he knocked down a feed put his way from Menard, then drove in and cut to his left before lifting in a backhand.
With his contributions in the session, Menard is now on a nine-game points heater.
The visitors had a chance to retake the lead in the final moments of the frame, but Isaac Bandoo was denied by the pad of Helkie on a penalty shot.
Heading to the second stanza, Drigo added another for the Paper Kings at 13:51 when he pumped one upstairs off a chance generated by De Giacomo and Denver Mulligan while up a skater.
Remaining 3-2 Espanola into the third period, Royce Abraham potted an equalizer for the Lumberjacks just over four minutes in as he elevated a rising shot through Millar from the left side.
More from Abraham a couple of shifts later, saw him convert from up top after a pass put over to him from Warner, following a faceoff win by Owen Kahl.
Continuing to go back and forth, De Giacomo knotted it at 4-4 as Makasoff found him alone in front where he guided a low attempt under Helkie at 8:01.
The goals kept coming when Warner clicked on a power play as he got just enough of an attempt to see it squeak through Millar and trickle in.
Coming back to force extra time with 3:31 to go in regulation, the Paper Kings’ Luke Boggio connected on a five-on-three when he took a cross-ice feed from De Giacomo up high and put in a low short-side shot.
Heading to OT, De Giacomo secured the road result for his side as he darted down the right wing before neatly working around a defender and swatting in the game-winner in impressive fashion to end it.
