Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – The Timmins Rock rebounded from a trio of one-goal deficits with two unanswered third period markers to pull out a 4-3 road decision over the Hearst Lumberjacks in a hotly-contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Friday Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
After a late start to this one, Hearst struck first 13:23 into the proceedings thanks to Noah Janicki’s fifth of the season.
Timmins countered however with Yan Bessette connecting in his Rock debut, late in the frame.
The Lumberjacks regained the lead a minute and a half into the middle stanza when Emile Pichette finished off a Cody Walker feed from the slot while putting it by a screened Patrick Boivin.
A man advantage helped the visitors answer that though as they saw Liam Wells notch his 15th of the campaign as he whipped one high past Hearst starter Ethan Dinsdale.
Taking their third lead of the night, Tyler Bortkiewicz scored at 11:06 of the session for the Lumberjacks as he banked one in from the right of the net.
Needing just 21 seconds to begin the final frame, Timmins’ affiliate player Ryan Armatage stuffed in a close-range backhand as he pulled the puck back on top of Dinsdale and slid in his first NOJHL goal.
The Rock then completed the comeback with 11:47 remaining when Nolan Ring cruised to the front of the net and outwaited the Lumberjacks goalkeeper, off a pass from behind the goal line by Brady Harroun, before tucking in the eventual game-winner past the outstretched pad of Dinsdale.
Boivin and the rest of the Rock held firm the rest of the way in securing the narrow away triumph.
The result sees Timmins move to 27-6-3-2 overall while Hearst falls to 27-9-2-0.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
