Eagles erupt for 7 goals in road win over Voodoos

POWASSAN, Ont. – The Soo Eagles picked up their highest offensive outburst on the road this season Saturday as they struck seven times before holding off the Powassan Voodoos for a 7-5 victory Saturday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at the Powassan Sportsplex.

The loss puts an end to Powassan’s 11-game unbeaten run as they had gone 10-0-0-1 in that span.

The Voodoos got off to a good start on Ryan Theriault’s sixth of the season 4:21 into the game only to see Sault Ste. Marie strike four times before the first period was complete.

After Christian Bardarson’s 12th of the campaign tied it at 11:48, the Eagles notched a trio of tallies in the latter stages of the session with Jacob Palmerio, Owen Kipke and Jake Saxton all finding the back of the net in the final three minutes of the period.

Aaron Dickson got one back for the home side 2:30 into the middle stanza only to see Nick Techel tack on his 10th overall a mere 17 seconds later.

The Soo then chased Powassan starter Christian Cicigoi at 5:20 as Kellen Tharaldson connected on the power play to make it 6-3. Graham Dynes entered the contest to take over for Cicigoi.

Battling back, the Voodoos picked up a shorthanded marker from rookie Harrison Israels midway through the second to pull within three and also saw the Eagles opt to replace netminder Shane Brancato in favour of Carter McPhail.

The visitors upped their lead early in the final frame when George Orfanos scored for a fourth time in 2017-18 to make it 7-3 at 1:46.

Undaunted, Powassan clawed their way back into the game thanks to Dickson’s second of the night at 8:37 followed by a Dayton Murray power play blast a couple of shifts later as the D-man racked up his 17th goal of the season.

However the Soo tightened up defensively from there to secure the decision.

Kobe Keller, Bobby Price and Mikey Butcher registered two assists apiece to compliment the Eagles offensively.

Brancato stopped 22 of 25 and picked up the win with McPhail in turn kicking out 26 of the 28 attempts he saw in his time in goal.

Cicigoi suffered the loss allowing six against on 15 attempts while Graham Dynes handled 19 shots on 20 chances in nearly 35 minutes of relief.