SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – The Hearst Lumberjacks built up a three-goal lead before withstanding a solid push by the Soo Thunderbirds in the final two periods to eventually collect a 5-3 triumph Sunday in a boisterous Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matchup at John Rhodes Community Centre.
The visiting Lumberjacks struck quickly, opening the scoring just 1:44 into the proceedings.
On the play, Colton Loiselle scooped up an ill-timed drop pass by a Thunderbirds forward in the Hearst zone and raced up ice on a two-on-one and while coming down the right side fired a shot that goalkeeper Cameron Boville could only get a piece of before it flipped over top of him and into the net.
A point-blank blocker save by Lumberjacks’ starter Jack Helkie midway through the first period kept them in the lead.
However, Sault Ste. Marie did draw level on a man advantage at 10:58 when Frankie Reda took a feed across up top from Drew Christian then moved in while making a couple of moves before roofing an attempt by a screened Helkie.
Coming back to retake the lead, Loiselle sent a play ahead from deep in his own territory, that generated another odd-man rush, and allowed Benjamin Kuhl to set-up a hard-charging Terence Levasseur, who chipped a backhand high over the blocker of Boville.
Not done there, the Jacks used another opportunity to take a 3-1 edge into the intermission that featured Dylan Westmann making a sharp play across to Kadin Bilajbegovic near the crease that he put in.
On the power play to begin the second stanza, Hearst tacked on another off a failed Soo clearing attempt that allowed Julien Trudel to keep a chance onside and send it towards the net where Luc Warner guided it in.
With the tally, Warner, and Westmann earlier, extended point streaks to seven each.
Cutting into the deficit while up a skater and still half a game to go, Jackson Mead brought the T-Birds back to within two as he finished off a nice rush ahead from defenceman Dreyon Boissoneau.
Building some momentum while pressing the pace, the Soo made it a 4-3 game early in the third when Reda lifted one from the point off a faceoff that sailed in through a maze.
Continuing to push into the late going, the Thunderbirds got Boville out for an extra attacker in an effort to tie it, but Helkie and Hearst held firm before Westmann iced it with an empty netter to complete their road swing with a trio of triumphs and run a winning streak to five.
The result also sees the Lumberjacks improve to 9-5-0-0 on the campaign while in defeat, the Soo slipped to 10-3-0-2 overall.
