Photos: Marc Johnson
HEARST, Ont. – The Hearst Lumberjacks saw Ryan Glazer tally twice as part of a 4-1 win over the Powassan Voodoos Thursday in Game 1 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Division semifinal at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
After Powassan had an opening goal disallowed, after it was deemed by the officials to have been knocked in by a high stick by forward Mike Levin, 55 seconds into the proceedings, the contest stayed scoreless early on.
The Voodoos and Levin did however get one that counted at 13:54 as he got in behind a pair of Hearst defenders after taking a long up-ice feed and darted in on netminder Liam Oxner and calmly made a sharp move before tucking the puck between his legs for his first of the postseason.
Countering with the equalizer before the opening frame came to a close, the Lumberjacks’ Owen Porter cranked a shot from the right point that hit teammate Raphael Lajeunesse, but it bounced right to Glazer who reached around and tucked it past the outstretched pad of Powassan’s
Alex Bugeja.
Moving to the second stanza, Hearst took the lead at 6:39 as Riley Klugerman converted on a similar marker to the Voodoos’ Levin as he flew down the left side before slipping in a slow back hand.
Picking up some insurance past the midway mark of the third, Glazer started a play in the neutral zone and proceeded to make his way down the left wing and eventually around the back of the net before cutting out on the other side and jamming one in before Bugeja could get across to make a play on it.
Hearst’s Lajeunesse then capped off the victory with a late empty-net effort to round out the scoring.
Game 2 goes Friday back at Claude Larose and will get underway at 7 p.m.
NOJHL East Division semifinal
Hearst Lumberjacks vs. Powassan Voodoos
Hearst leads best-of-seven series 1-0
Game 1: Lumberjacks 4 Voodoos 1
Game 2: Friday, April 8 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
Game 3: Sunday, April 10 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Powassan Sportsplex)
Game 4: Monday, April 11 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Powassan Sportsplex)
Game 5*: Wednesday, April 13 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
Game 6*: Friday, April 15 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Powassan Sportsplex)
Game 7*: Sunday, April 17 @ Hearst 7 p.m. (Claude Larose Recreation Centre)
*-if necessary
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
