Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – A solid night offensively by Hearst Lumberjacks veteran forward duo of Tyler Patterson and Mathieu Comeau paced their side to a 6-2 victory over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest Saturday at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
After picking up a win against the same opponent on Friday, the hometown Lumberjacks began the scoring eight minutes into this match-up when Comeau stuffed in backhand into the open side on Gold Miners’ goaltender Matis Bureau-Morel, off a Patterson attempt.
Tying it late in the first period, Kirkland Lake’s Josh Hall blocked a shot at his own blueline, then came up ice and put a feed in between the circles where teammate Simon McCandless spun and fired a low shot under Hearst’s Owen Bonthuis.
Heading to the second stanza, the Lumberjacks owned the first 10 minutes of it, striking three times to take a 4-1 lead into the intermission.
Countering in transition, DonHeaven Veilleux darted down the right wing and sent a saucer pass over to Aidan Kalin, who ripped it past the blocker of Bureau-Morel at 1:23.
A couple of shifts later, Julien Trudel clicked for Hearst by banking one in off the skate of a defender.
Patterson then connected at 9:30 as he pumped in a cross-ice set-up from William Pâquet.
Extending their edge early in the third, Adam Shillinglaw blasted one in from the high slot during a man advantage opportunity.
Comeau then notched his second of the evening at 11:40 by pumping in a Bourdon-Lemoyne pass from below the goal line.
A final tally on the night was provided by the Gold Miners’ Jordan Fitger, on a late power play, as he jumped in a chipped a loose puck over a sprawling Bonthuis with just over a minute to play.
With the outcome, Hearst goes to 19-6-0-1 on the campaign, while Kirkland Lake falls to 2-21-0-2.
