POWASSAN, Ont. – Austin Heidt had the lone goal in the shootout as the Hearst Lumberjacks pulled out a 7-6 decision over the Powassan Voodoos in a high-scoring Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Saturday at the Powassan Sportsplex.
With the Voodoos coming away victorious over the Lumberjacks Friday, they got off to a quick start on this night opening the scoring just 70 seconds in on Tomas Yachmenev’s career single-season best 29th of the campaign, with help from Parker Bowman and Seiji Martone.
Hearst however roared back by striking four times before the initial frame was complete.
Nick Bruno got the Lumberjacks going offensively, which was followed by the first NOJHL goal from Carson Cox at 11:42.
Not done there, the visitors tacked on two more off the sticks of Alex Cannon and Olivier Cloutier-Faucher, as his 20th made it 4-1 after one.
Moving to the middle stanza, the goals kept coming with Bowman making it 4-2 just past the one-minute mark, only to see Spencer Silver strike for Hearst at 3:22.
Yachemenev then hit the 30-tally plateau, followed by a Mathew Hardwick effort to see the score shift to 5-4 Lumberjacks.
In the third, Jack Craycroft’s initial NOHL tally tied it for Powassan at 8:12.
Down a skater, Cannon banged in his second of the night with a shorthanded effort at 12:46, only to see the Voodoos answer with a man advantage goal 16 seconds later, thanks to Sam Ellwood.
After a scoreless overtime, extra shots were required to determine a winner.
There Lumberjacks’ blueliner Heidt converted on the final chance for his club to give them the road triumph.
Hearst’s Liam Oxner made 40 saves to collect the win for the guests while Powassan affiliate netminder Ty Miller faced 37 shots in defeat, but helping his club earn a point.