COCHRANE, Ont. – Spencer Silver racked up a career single-game high four goals and seven points to lift the Hearst Lumberjacks to a 9-6 victory over the Cochrane Crunch Tuesday evening in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up at Tim Horton Event Centre.
Both clubs had no trouble finding the back of the net in a five-tally first period, which included three markers for the home side.
Cochrane opened the scoring 6:09 into the contest thanks to T.J. Delaney, only to see Silver strike just 35 seconds later to knot the affair at 1-1.
Delaney added another midway through the session while teammate Zach Hayes put the Crunch up by a pair at 14:59.
Hearst got one back late in the frame as Dawson Waddell connected with 17 seconds remaining.
The Lumberjacks built on that momentum and notched three straight goals to take the lead as Silver supplied a pair to give him his first NOJHL hat trick while Austin Anselmo chipped in with a single.
Austin Whelan’s 14th brought Cochrane closer at 15:39 of the second stanza only to see Silver pick-up his fourth of the night on the next shift while Max Johnson’s 18th added to Hearst’s cushion deep in the session.
Samuel Bourdages also had a big night for Hearst as he scored for the 20th time this season at 11:45 of the third to go along with four earlier assists in the eventual triumph.
Delaney brought the Crunch closer with 4:19 remaining to complete a hat trick of his own before Morgan Scriber iced it for the Lumberjacks with a late empty netter.
Nicholas Dube made 44 saves to record the win for the visitors.
Taylor Unruh started for Cochrane and allowed four against on 17 attempts while Shayne Battler suffered the loss in lengthy relief giving up four of his own on 16 shots fired his way.