SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – The Powassan Voodoos continued their winning ways in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League as they won their fourth straight contest and seventh regular season game in a row dating back to the 2016-17 campaign as they defeated the Soo Thunderbirds 5-3 Saturday evening at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
Powassan took early control in the contest as they soared out to a 3-0 lead after one period of play.
Kobe Desmond put the Voodoos in flight, via the power play, 5:48 in.
They then came back a couple minutes later on a Rhys Brown effort and proceeded to make it 3-0 at 15:26 thanks to Tyler Gilberds.
Up a man in the middle stanza Sault Ste. Marie got on the board at 5:03 as Nicolas Case collected his first NOJHL tally.
An early power play to begin the third allowed the Thunderbirds to pull within one as Alex Acosta beat Powassan starter Christian Cicigoi 49 seconds into the session.
The Soo then tied it while up another man; a couple shifts later, when Nick Smith converted with 17:48 to play.
Regrouping, the Voodoos came back with the eventual game-winner four and a half minutes into the stanza as Brett Hahkala connected on the power play to put the visitors back in front for good.
Powassan’s Shane Beaulieu then finished off the scoring midway through the final frame to secure the road win.
Surging Dayton Murray chipped in with two assists in the triumph as the Voodoos’ defenceman raised his league-leading overall point total to 11 in the process.
Cicigoi made 32 saves to register the win for Powassan while Eric Schuch save 30 shots fired his way in defeat for the Thunderbirds.
Photos courtesy of James Egan’s Sports Photography
