Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – Cameron Menard’s first goal as member of the Hearst Lumberjacks, coming 32 seconds into overtime, was the difference as his new side withstood an impressive comeback bid by the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners before prevailing 6-5 in a wild Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Sunday at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Having not played since December 13 due to the holiday break and weather-related game postponements, the layoff didn’t appear to affect the Lumberjacks early on as Julien Trudel opened the scoring 3:15 into the matchup as he took a Ty Seymour feed in the slot and pumped it past Gold Miners’ starter Glen McInnes.
Collecting the second assist on the play was Hearst captain Mathieu Comeau, who extended a consecutive game point streak to 18 in succession.
The home side added another a couple of shifts later thanks to Ty McKay notching his 23rd tally as he roofed a wrister off a Comeau set-up.
Kirkland Lake cut into the deficit less than a minute later when Nathan Harper blasted in a big rebound allowed by Owen Bonthuis off a Noah Komick attempt.
Regrouping, the Lumberjacks collected a trio of tallies before the visitors notched another to cap-off the goal-filled offensive barrage in the first.
Jake Gawley’s initial NOJHL marker began the outburst as the defenceman was spotted by Seymour darting down the middle where he buried a nice shot.
Going to work on the power play, Chase Thompson whipped one in from between the circles off Comeau’s third assist of the session.
Thompson has also earned a point in eight straight.
More work from Comeau saw him feed McKay on the right side where he wired in his second of the day.
Inching closer, Owen Kelly slammed in his first in the league at 16:54 with help from Daniel Rusu and Luke Williams.
More from the Miners while skating four aside late in the second stanza, saw Harper do all the work after controlling a draw and muscling his way to net where he lifted a short side backhand from along the goal line that leaked through Bonthuis for an unassisted effort at 18:22.
Continuing to battle, Kirkland Lake got to within one with 2:46 left in regulation on a hat trick tally off the stick of Harper as he chipped in a chance at the top of the crease.
Pushing hard for an equalizer with McInnes out for an extra attacker, the Gold Miners’ Isaiah Allen tied it as he kept a play alive in the Hearst zone where he cut into the right circle and snapped in the tying goal with 63 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
There, the NOJHL’s leading goal-scorer, Cameron Menard, made his mark in his Lumberjacks’ debut by slamming in the game-winner into a gaping net, finishing an impressive play with Comeau and William Pâquet to end it.
With the outcome, Hearst improves to 21-6-0-2 overall and with a well-earned point in defeat, Kirkland Lake moves to 11-20-0-4.
