Photo: voodooshockey.com
WASAGA BEACH, Ont. – The Collingwood Blues (OJHL) held off a persistent Powassan Voodoos side with a 4-3 quarter-final win Thursday at the Cottage Cup Showcase at Wasaga Stars Arena.
Holding their own, Powassan generated the opening goal, off an odd-man rush.
The play saw Jackson Smith hit the ice on a line-change and join in where he was set-up in front and snapped a quick shot by Collingwood goaltender Colten Drillen-Roach at 11:44 of the first period.
Coming back to tie it, just after a Blues power play had expired, they drew level a couple of minutes later.
On the tally, Hudson Martin worked his way out of the corner, then put a cross-crease pass over to Talan Palmer, who steered it past Voodoos’ netminder Tyson Wilcox.
With the teams playing two-period games in the eight-team event, Collingwood was quick to take the lead in the final stanza, converting a minute in, as Cameron Eke drove into the Powassan zone, pulled up, and fed Ethan Faccina in the slot, who snapped in the go-ahead marker.
Pressing the pace, the Blues tacked on another midway through the session when Jack Rimmer skated down the right wing and fired a low attempt through the legs of Wilcox.
Battling back, Smith bagged his second marker of the contest as Addison Murphy-Rogers teed him up with a nice backhand and while moving in from the point, wired one into the top right-hand corner during a man advantage at 12:26.
Adding another late in regulation, Collingwood won a draw deep in Powassan territory and quickly saw Marcus Lougheed whip a shot into the net, for the eventual game-winner.
Undaunted, the Voodoos got their goalie out for an extra attacker and made it 4-3 with 45 seconds to go as Nathan Pelletier buried a chance with a quick-wrister from the top of the crease.
A final effort to tie it fell just short however as the defending Centennial Cup champions held on for the narrow victory.
The Voodoos will wrap-up preseason play with a September 6-7 home-and-home against the French River Rapids.
