saultsports Photos: Northern Lights Photography
HEARST, Ont. – Scoring the game’s first three goals, the Hearst Lumberjacks never trailed and went on to defeat Timmins Rock 5-3 Friday in the fifth game of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.
With the outcome, the Lumberjacks take the best-of-seven set 4-1 and will now move on to meet the Greater Sudbury Cubs in the NOJHL championship series for the Copeland Cup – McNamara Trophy.
In Friday’s affair, Hearst began things offensively near the nine-minute mark of the first period.
On the tally, Chase Thompson put a pass out from below the goal line that Tyler Patterson collected at sharp angle and snapped it past Timmins netminder Dryden Riley.
That saw Patterson extend a current league-high point streak to nine in succession, giving him seven goals and five assists in that span.
Adding another at 15:06, the Lumberjacks’ Owen Hey chased down a dump in and got the puck to Ty McKay, who found Hugo Allard moving towards the crease where he lifted his chance into the top left-hand corner, in picking up second of the playoffs.
Early on in the middle frame, the home side generated another tally from down low to extend their lead to three.
That saw Henry Ouellet put a pass on the tape of defenceman Brayden Hindman coming in from the point and pump his chance over the shoulder of Riley.
The Rock got one back at 4:11 when Matthew Kim heaved a play up ice out of his own zone that found Kai Clayton, who went in alone and neatly tucked one through the legs of Hearst goalkeeper Alexandre Boivin.
Getting that back four minutes later, DonHeaven Veilleux powered his way to the net from the left side, where after stepping around a defender, lifted in his team-leading eighth of the postseason.
Countering midway through the match-up, Edan Etheridge brought the Rock closer as he wired one over the shoulder of Boivin.
Coming right back with their sixth shorthanded goal of the series, Hearst’s Mathieu Comeau notched his fourth man-down marker as he took a Hindman feed and wheeled into Timmins territory after splitting a pair of defenders and fired one through Riley.
In the third period, Timmins got the goalie out to begin and power play with 6:35 to go, but Hearst handled that.
The Rock did get one more, with the extra attacker in the final minute, when captain Tenzin Nyman whipped one past Boivin from the top of the left circle off a draw won by Ryan Armitage.
However, that proved to be the final goal of the evening as the Lumberjacks closed it out to wrap-up the series.
The NOJHL champion will advance to the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, May 8-18 in Calgary, Alta.
NOJHL semifinal
No. 2 Hearst Lumberjacks vs. 4 Timmins Rock
Lumberjacks win best-of-seven series 4-1
Game 1: Lumberjacks 5 Rock 2
Game 2: Lumberjacks 6 Rock 0
Game 3: Rock 4 Lumberjacks 2
Game 4: Lumberjacks 4 Rock 3
Game 5: Lumberjacks 5 Rock 3
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