HEARST, Ont. – A three-goal outburst late in regulation helped the Hearst break open a tie game as they went on to defeat the French River Rapids 5-2 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League outing Friday evening at Claude Larose Arena.
Hometown Hearst had the edge in the first frame as they tallied twice to go up by a pair as Alex Cannon and Dominic Dumas collected markers.
Heading to the second stanza, French River got one back deep in the period, when Benjamin Naimool put the visitors on the board at 19:22.
Going to the power play four minutes into the third, the Rapids picked up the equalizer moments later as Will Frustaglio set-up Ryan Smith to knot the affair at 2-2.
Still knotted well into the third, the Lumberjacks picked up a man advantage and there Dumas picked up the eventual game-winner at 17:50 as he drove to the net from the left side and chipped the puck high that came down and glanced off the blocker of French River goaltender Sebastian Woods and trickled over the goal line.
Breaking out on a three-on-two, Jake Desando added some insurance 20 seconds later as his low shot from the right wing found its way underneath Woods.
Hearst then capped off the win when Olivier Cloutier-Faucher won a race and put one into an empty net to cap of the triumph.
Rahul Bola made 28 stops to earn the decision in goal for the Lumberjacks while Woods faced 38 shots in defeat.
The same two teams meet again Saturday back in Hearst at 7 p.m.
Game Photos courtesy of Marianka Cantin
