Voodoos clinch 1st NOJHL regular season title with 5-2 victory over Eskis

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Monday, Feb. 27, 2017

Voodoos clinch 1st NOJHL regular season title with 5-2 victory over Eskis

POWASSAN, Ont. – The Powassan Voodoos needed the strength of three third period goals to break open a tie game and defeat the Iroquois Falls Eskis 5-2 Monday evening and by doing so clinched the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s regular season title for the first time in franchise history.

With the victory, the Voodoos are now eight points ahead of the Soo Thunderbirds in the overall standings with each club having four games remaining.

Since Powassan won both meetings against Sault Ste. Marie during the course of the 2016-17 campaign, they officially secured the crown by holding the tie-breaker in head-to-head competition.

In Monday’s match-up, the Voodoos got in flight at 16:11 of the first period when Dylan D’Agostino scored for a fourth consecutive contest and registered his 19th goal of the season.

Taking advantage of a five-minute power play in the middle session, Iroquois Falls struck twice in an 81-second span to first tie it thanks to Blake Holowaty and then take the lead on a Ryan Forsyth effort.

The Voodoos drew level before the second stanza was complete however as Brett Hahkala finished off a Ryan Theriault effort at 17:47.

Hahkala then supplied his second of the night a half minute into the third as he buried the eventual game-winner.

Theriault then made it 4-2 less than eight minutes to go in regulation before Hahkala iced it to finish off his first NOJHL hat trick and pick-up his 17th goal overall to wrap things up.

With an earlier assist Hahkala end up with four points while Theriault joined him with three helpers to go along with his tally.

Ryan Gruszka chipped in with two assists for the Eskis.

Nate McDonald made 21 stops to record his NOJHL-best 28th win and provided the regular season-clinching triumph for Powassan.

Ty Sparling faced 48 shots in defeat for Iroquois Falls.