Photos: Bob Davies
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Tucker Shields had the lone goal in the shootout for a second straight game as the Powassan Voodoos pulled out a 4-3 come from behind triumph over the Soo Thunderbirds Sunday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Sault Ste. Marie started the scoring 3:43 in when Grayson Ebrahim tucked in a loose puck past Powassan starter Miles Gordon, that was put to the net by a falling Jackson Truchan.
Answering with a shorthanded equalizer, just over 11 minutes later, Cameron Lemcke chipped the puck past a Thunderbirds defender then dashed down the right wing on an odd-man rush before sending it across to Shields driving to the net where he lifted his chance over the pad of goalkeeper Connor Hatfield.
Still on the power play though, the Soo went back on top compliments of Alex Remenda at 16:10 as he tipped in a Declan Gallivan shot, who snapped an attempt from the top of the right circle.
Heading to the middle stanza, the T-Birds went up by a pair nearly seven minutes in as Jacob Smith chipped one over the shoulder of Gordon from a sharp angle.
Pulling back to within one at 12:20, the Voodoos forced a turnover at their own blueline then came down into the Soo zone on an odd-man rush and saw Darby McCarthy finish off a partial give-and-go with teammate Zach Turner.
Answering with an equalizer in the third to help force overtime, Shields snapped in the tying tally at 17:15 after Lemcke won a faceoff back to him where he put it high by a blocked out Hatfield.
Heading to the extra session, neither side would connect, to send it to additional attempts.
There, like he did in a road triumph versus the Soo Eagles Saturday, Shields connected by skating in and firing a quick shot past Hatfield.
Powassan’s Gordon then did the rest, making two stops, then seeing one final T-Birds chance ring off the post to secure the win, his first in the NOJHL.
The Voodoos move to 4-1-0-1 with the result while the Thunderbirds picked up a point in defeat while falling to 2-3-1-1 on the season.
