POWASSAN, Ont. – Max Johnson scored three times as the surging Hearst Lumberjacks won their sixth Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League playoff contest in a row Wednesday as they dropped the Powassan Voodoos 5-2 in Game 3 of their East Division Final at the Powassan Sportsplex.
With the result, Hearst now leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 heading into Game 4 Thursday back in Powassan at 7 p.m.
The Lumberjacks came out quickly, taking the lead 90 seconds into the contest on Dawson Waddell effort.
They then went up by a pair at 13:16 as Johnson collected his first of the evening.
Powassan cut into the deficit five minutes later thanks to Cade Herd, who notched his second of the playoffs to pull the guests to within one.
However, the Waddell and Johnson duo both tallied again in the middle session to put the guests up by three after two periods of play.
Max Newnam got one back for the Voodoos 14 minutes into the third, but Johnson finished off his hat trick in the latter stages of the contest as he put one into an empty net to round out the scoring.
Bradley Golan dished out three assists to aid the Hearst cause while Troy Daniels and George Young had two helpers apiece.
Hearst also held the edge in shots 44-23 with Nicholas Tallarico picking up the win while Christian Cicigoi suffered the loss.
NOJHL East Division semifinal
Hearst Lumberjacks vs. Powassan Voodoos
Lumberjacks lead best-of-seven series 3-0
Game 1: Hearst 4 Powassan 3 (OT)
Game 2: Hearst 4 Powassan 3 (OT)
Game 3: Hearst 5 Powassan 2
Game 4: Thursday, April 4 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 5*: Saturday, April 6 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Arena)
Game 6*: Monday, April 8 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 10 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Arena)
*-if necessary