Cubs blank Voodoos to take series lead

Noah Metivier proved to be unbeatable in being part of a fourth playoff shutout, in backstopping the Greater Sudbury Cubs to a 5-0 triumph over the Powassan Voodoos Sunday afternoon in Game 3 of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League championship series, held at the Powassan Sportsplex.

This now sees Greater Sudbury going ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 set for Monday night at 7 p.m. back at the Sportsplex.

Supplying an eventual early game-winner, the Cubs opened the scoring just over three minutes into the match-up as defenceman Brock Houser moved along the blueline and took a Noah Kohan feed and fired a shot from the high slot that hit off a defender and flipped past Voodoos’ netminder Daniel Dirracolo.

There were a number of quality chances, at both ends, for the remainder of a feisty and penalty-laden first period, but the clubs reached the intermission with Greater Sudbury maintaining their 1-0 lead.

Moving to the middle stanza, Powassan had a couple of power plays to try and tie it, but could not solve goaltender Metivier.

Later, the visitors went up by a pair deep into the session.

Countering in transition, after the Cubs broke up a play in their own zone, the puck found its way to North Bay product and Wolves prospect Marshall McCharles, who drove down the left wing on a two-on-one where he opted to shoot when arriving in Powassan territory and fired an attempt under Dirracolo for his fifth of the postseason.

The tally saw him score for a second-straight outing, while extending a modest point streak to three in succession.

Heading to the third, Greater Sudbury made it 3-0 by converting on a man advantage, just over five minutes in, seeing Hudson Chitaroni whip-in a one-timer from the right circle, off a Nolan Newton backhand pass.

They then went ahead by four as Newton negated an icing by outracing an opponent, then finding an open Noah Kohan going to the net, who quickly buried his close-range chance.

The Voodoos later got their goalie out for an extra skater, but it was the guests who capitalized with an empty netter from mid-ice by Chitaroni to put the game away.

The winner will represent the NOJHL at the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, Canadian National Junior A Championship, May 9-19, in Oakville, Ont.