Photos: Tom Martineau
POWASSAN, Ont. – Two-goal nights from defencemen Mitch Wilkie and Nicholas Liotino sent the Powassan Voodoos on their way to a convincing 8-1 victory over the Greater Sudbury Cubs Friday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at the Powassan Sportsplex.
The hometown Voodoos blasted out of the gate, striking just 16 seconds into the contest, as Wilkie banged in a rebound, off a chance generated by Rhys Smetham that was begun by Alex Little.
Powassan picked up another at 11:25 on a Liotino marker as he slammed in a Mathieu MacMillan behind the net feed.
Up a skater midway through the contest, the Voodoos extended their lead thanks to Liotino’s second of the night as he fired a one-timer from the point that sailed by Metivier.
Coming right back, they tacked on another to go up 4-0 with Wilkie supplying his second as he sent a shot in from the right side that found its way by bodies piled up in the crease.
The onslaught continued when Michael MacLean drove down the slot and slid in a low backhand to the end Metivier’s night in favour of back-up Noah Beaulne for his first NOJHL goal.
Continuing to pour it on, Powassan went up by six following 40 minutes compliments of Joshua Thompson banging in a rebound from the left of a sprawling Beaulne.
In the final frame, Greater Sudbury put an early end to Daniel Dirracolo’s shutout bid for the hosts when Nicholas Toffoli made a solid dash into the Powassan zone and got it to Nolan Newton, who stuffed one in while crashing the crease at 1:54.
Capping off the one-sided result, the Voodoos got markers from Conor O’Brien, on a goal-mouth scramble, and Chase Strychaluk, knocking in a close-range backhand into an open corner, to cap off the home-ice victory.
The outcome sees the Voodoos improve to 25-11-1-0 on the season while the Cubs fall to Cubs 32-6-2-0.
