ESPANOLA, Ont. – An Aiden Duchesne second period hat trick, highlighted by the game-winner, led the Powassan Voodoos to a 6-2 victory over the Espanola Paper Kings in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Saturday night affair at the Regional Recreation Complex.
A fast-paced first frame went without a goal as the clubs headed to their respective dressing rooms still in search of the evening’s initial tally.
Coming out with a purpose to begin the second stanza, Powassan pumped in a pair of goals before the session was three minutes in.
The Voodoos’ Caleb Dawson helped set-up the initial tally when his feed sent Duchesne in alone on a breakaway where he wired a shot over the blocker of Paper Kings’ netminder Mason Janicki at 1:35.
They then saw Jacob Grahn collect his initial NOJHL marker as he too was provided a pass that allowed him to go in on Janicki and also find the top left corner.
Continuing their outburst, Duchesne clicked twice to hit his hat trick to make it 4-0, and chase Janicki in favour of Espanola back-up Liam Cheeseman.
Each of his last two tallies came from the left side where he found himself open.
The Paper Kings eventually solved Powassan goalkeeper Owen Loftus, who was making his NOJHL debut, at 15:52 thanks to Warren Farver moving in from the point and roofing one upstairs.
A fifth in the frame though saw Owen Head make it 5-1 after 40 minutes as he wheeled down the left wing, then cut into the middle where he sent one under the cross bar to finish off an excellent effort.
That also saw Janicki return in net for the hosts.
In the final session, Espanola’s Denver Mulligan found himself free in front and after a puck came to him from below the goal line, he lifted in his ninth of the campaign.
Putting it away with 5:35 to go, Grahn got another for the Voodoos via the power play by converting in front of the crease to round out the scoring.
