POWASSAN, Ont. – A solid end-to-end rush by Hearst Lumberjacks defenceman Jaden Read resulted in the game-winning goal with 17 seconds remaining in overtime to secure a 3-2 victory over the previously unbeaten Powassan Voodoos in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Friday night at the Powassan Sportsplex.
The Voodoos pressed the pace in the opening 20 minutes, but could not solve Hearst goalkeeper Liam Oxner as the clubs hit the first intermission knotted at 0-0.
In the middle stanza, Powassan was quick to solve Oxner as Jacob McClellan made a crafty back pass between his legs right to a red-hot Rodion Tatarenko, who stuffed in his league-leading sixth goal from close range.
Answering that, the Lumberjacks clicked five minutes later as Riley Klugerman side-stepped a defender before darting into the left circle where he whipped in his opening NOJHL tally.
Coming right back, Hearst tacked on another a couple of shifts later with Robbie Rutledge picking up his fourth of the campaign by jamming one in from the left of the crease during a man advantage.
Getting the equalizer at 11:34 of the third, Caleb Van de Ven whistled one from high along the right boards to knot the affair at 2-2 with his club up a skater.
Heading to extra time, the first half was tightly contested before opening up after that.
With a shootout looming, Read started in his own zone and slowly skated up the left wing before moving around a Voodoos defender by kicking the puck up to his stick with his skate, then made a nice move to his right, where lifted the game-winner high over the Voodoos’ Owen Wray’s outstretched pad to give the guests the triumph.
Oxner was solid on the night, making 26 stops to earn the decision as Hearst improved to 2-1-1-1 on the season.
Wray faced 28 attempts in defeat as Powassan slipped to 5-0-1-0 on the campaign.
Back-up Alex Bugeja also had a brief 24-second stint in relief.