Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – Coming out strong, the Hearst Lumberjacks jumped out to a big first period lead and never looked back in downing the Iroquois Falls Storm 11-1 Friday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Hearst was all business from the onset, taking a 4-0 lead before the contest was 12 minutes old.
Henry Ouellet began the outburst at 3:47 as he neatly steered in a nice pass from Aiden Kalin.
Next came a marker from Tyler Patterson as the veteran Lumberjacks forward drove hard down the left wing and while powering his way to net, took it wide and tucked in a backhand on Storm starter Justin Sullivan.
Continuing to press, the home side went up by three compliments of Bronson Babyak at 8:44 as he had multiple cracks at a loose puck laying in the crease before eventually stuffing it in.
Not done there, Hearst clicked on the power play three minutes later with DonHeaven Veilleux snagging a rebound on a sharp angle and quickly snapping it by Sullivan.
A goaltending change from there saw recently acquired Maverick Fletcher enter in relief for Iroquois Falls.
The Lumberjacks greeted him however with their fifth of the session with Matieu Comeau converting at 17:40 as he finished off a rush up ice generated by Patterson.
Iroquois Falls did find the mark 16:15 into the middle stanza as Alexandre St. Pierre snapped a shot that leaked through Hearst netminder Owen Bonthuis and trickled in.
Getting that back before the second intermission, Babyak chopped in his second as his attempt fluttered high over a downed Fletcher and into the net.
Icing the affair early in the final frame, Adam Shillinglaw from point-blank range, and Keenan Quenneville finishing off a nice Cole Miller set-up in close put the outcome no longer in doubt.
They then saw Damien Bourdon-Lemoyne, Ouellet and Babyak complete the romp and win going away.
