Game Photos: Marc-André Longval
HEARST, Ont. – A surging Ryan Glazer had a hat trick Sunday to give him seven goals in his past four outings as he propelled the Hearst Lumberjacks to a 6-3 victory over the Timmins Rock in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
Hearst needed just 74 seconds to open the scoring after a Raphael Lajeunesse attempt was stopped, but it created a Glazer chance that he deftly batted in out of mid-air past Timmins’ goalkeeper Gavin McCarthy.
It was more from the Lumberjacks at 7:40 as they converted during a man advantage with Mason Bazaluk backhanding in a loose puck that was blocked in front off a Riley Klugerman feed that was sent towards the net.
Not done there, Hearst tacked on another, via the power play, before the first frame was complete as a pinching Jaxson Holmes, coming in from his defensive position, converted at 15:48 as he took a perfect cross-ice pass from Klugerman before snapping one high over McCarthy’s blocker to put the hosts up by three.
Getting one back before the opening intermission, Riley Brosseau clicked at 19:33 as he took a crisp Nicolas Pigeon pass from behind the goal line and quickly buried a one-timer from the left circle.
Featuring the top two power plays in the league, second-ranked Timmins converted to make it a 3-2 game nearly four minutes into the middle frame as Pigeon picked up the remnants of a Bode Dunford blast from the blueline.
Tyler Schwindt had the second assist on the play that allowed him and Pigeon to extend point streaks to five in succession.
Answering that at 8:09, the Lumberjacks regained their two-tally edge on Klugerman’s third point of the game as he took a nice saucer pass by Rutledge lifted over a sliding Rock defender then proceeded to chip a backhand over a sprawling McCarthy to make it 4-2 after 40 minutes.
Action in the final stanza saw Hearst’s league-best squad with the man advantage click again as Glazer made a nice rush up the ice then finished off a give-and-go with Jaden Raad to pot his second of the game.
Getting one back with under two minutes to play, a Chase Longhurst shot from the right point was deflected right to Chris Engelbert parked to the side of the net, who promptly finished off his chance.
Then with the Timmins goalkeeper on the bench for an extra skater, it was Hearst’s Glazer who won a race down the ice and deposited the game’s final tally into the empty net in closing moments to complete the home ice win.
Shots on net finished up at 40 apiece with Oxner getting the win while McCarthy suffered the loss.
The two clubs will wrap-up a home-and-home set Tuesday in a 7:30 p.m. start at McIntyre Arena and on HockeyTV.com.
VIDEO “Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
