GALLERY: Herd’s hat trick lifts Powassan back into 1st

KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – Cade Herd collected his first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League hat trick to power the Powassan Voodoos to a 5-2 victory over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Thursday at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.

Herd put the Voodoos in flight 61 seconds after the opening face-off for the lone tally of the first period.

He then struck again early in the middle stanza as his second of the evening at 1:15 made it 2-0 Powassan.

Kirkland Lake countered 15 seconds later however with Joe Whittet picking up his second of the campaign to cut the deficit in half.

However the Voodoos came right back just over a minute later to restore the two-goal lead compliments of Dylan D’Agostino.

Herd then finished off his hat trick at 6:21 making it 4-1 Powassan to also end Gold Miners’ starter Ryan Winter’s night in favour of Cade McEwen.

Max Cavallini got one back for the Gold Miners late in the frame, but a Dayton Murray power play blast midway through the third capped off the road win for the Voodoos.

Tyson Gilmour picked up an assist for the visitors raising a consecutive game point streak to six in the process and Kirkland Lake’s Gabriel Rheault had a helper to give him points in four straight and six of seven.

Shots on goal in the contest favoured Powassan 30-27 with Christian Cicigoi picking up the victory.

Winter suffered the loss allowing four against on 11 attempts while McEwen handled 18 of 19 in relief.

With the result the Voodoos improve to 6-1 on the season and moved back into first overall in the NOJHL standings while the Gold Miners fell to 2-4-1.

Photos courtesy of CapturingTheMoment.ca