Voodoos take down Lumberjacks in five

The Powassan Voodoos broke open a one-goal game with four third period tallies to defeat the Hearst Lumberjacks 7-3 Friday in Game 5 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East semifinal at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.

With the outcome, the Voodoos take the best-of-seven series 4-1 and will now meet the Timmins Rock in the East Division final beginning next week.

Notching the night’s initial marker at 11:39 of the first frame, Powassan’s Michael MacLean led a rush up ice and dished a pass off to Reyth Smith who picked the short-side corner on Hearst netminder Russ Decoste, for his team-leading sixth goal of the playoffs.

Banging in the equalizer just over three minutes later, the Lumberjacks’ Alex McDonald banked in a rebound off a Cooper Moore attempt from the slot that went in off of Voodoos’ starter Daniel Dirracolo.

Moving to the second stanza, the Voodoos went back in front when Carson Ricci took a play wide and sent a low shot from a sharp angle that leaked through Decoste as trickled across the goal line at 8:36.

That resulted in Hearst opting to make a goaltending change, with back-up Tristan Boileau entering in relief.

Going ahead by two, Powassan’s Ryan Patrick pressured a turnover and found an open Dylan McElhinny in front who went to his right and tucked in a low backhand.

Battling back to within one, Hearst’s Mathieu Comeau worked his way along the side boards and sent a crisp feed in front that was snapped in by Moore at 15:40.

Answering that three minutes into the third, the Voodoos’ Mathieu MacMillan was gifted a giveaway at the Lumberjacks’ line and skated in alone before sizzling a shot by Boileau.

Pulling one back while up a skater, Comeau slammed one home from the left of Dirracolo.

However, the visitors countered at 8:24 courtesy of Zach Turner, who chose to shoot in finishing off a two-on-one.

The Voodoos then supplied some insurance with McElhinny banging in his second of the evening.

They then secured the series with MacLean scoring into an empty net from centre ice.