As Hall of Fame shortstop for the New York Yankees Derek Jeter once put it, “this is why you play – to get an opportunity to play in the playoffs.”
Well, they may not have the clout of the pinstripes, or Jeter, but the Powassan Voodoos find themselves staring down the gauntlet that is the NOJHL playoffs. In one of the worst kept secrets in the league, Powassan will face off against the Hearst Lumberjacks, starting March 25 in Hearst.
“We’ve known for awhile,” Voodoos forward Kaedyn Long told the Frontline Podcast recently. “I have to say Peter (Goulet) and Hardo (Josh Hardiman) have been giving us the best opportunity to beat them. We do video every morning and we are so focused on Hearst right now, and I think that’s going to give us the advantage over them.
“The amount of work they have put in to teach us all the little secrets they might have and I think that’s what will help us over Hearst in the first round.”
“Our coaches have been setting us up to succeed,” added goaltender Daniel Dirracolo. “I think we have to go there and put the game plan in place and go to work.”
Hearst finished 13 points ahead of Powassan in the regular season standings at 88 to the Voodoos 75. However, a late season skid, which can be attributed to as many as six regulars, including Long, seeing time out injury.
“It sucks being out,” explained Long. “I kept saying to everybody that I’m not ready to be in the stands just yet. It’s not fun watching your team from the stands, but I am happy to be back and get a couple of games in before the playoffs, especially to get back in the groove.”
Meanwhile, the Lumberjacks continued to play with a mostly healthy roster intact against some of the weaker teams in the league. Head-to-head, Powassan and Hearst each won two games in the four matchups.
“I think it’s going to be a hard-fought series between two good teams that have a little rivalry from last year,” explained Voodoos captain Alex Little.
Little, who had a historic season for Powassan, was part of the team last season that fell in six games to Hearst. For Long and Dirracolo, this will be the first time either has suited up for NOJHL playoff action.
“I think it’s similar to other leagues when it comes to playoffs, it’s a whole new game,” Long said. “There’s a lot more hitting and it’s do or die basically so you are going to give it all you’ve got and put it on the line for your team to win.
“It’s going to be fun for sure, there’s going to be some similarities, but there will be differences as well coming up against Hearst.”
“I think as a goalie, especially, you treat it as every other game,” added Dirracolo. “It’s a war, playoffs, rather than a battle, but you have to treat it as every other game and hope for the best results.”
For the man dubbed D-Rock by his teammates, mistakes this time of the year can be costly, especially as a goaltender as his mistakes can be seen directly on the scoreboard. Yet, the 17-year-old seems poised and ready for the pressures that come with playoffs.
“Shot by shot. You dwell on it too long and it will affect your game, the whole game. You have to go in there with the mindset of that’s behind you, the past, you can’t do anything about that. Just worry about the future and give your team the best chance to win.”
Both teams have seen players be recognized by the NOJHL in its year end awards too. The aforementioned Alex Little was named best defenceman, while head coach Peter Goulet named coach of the year. Those two are joined on the league’s first all-star team with first year trainer and equipment manager Matt MacDougall, while Tucker Shields and Mitch Wilkie were named to the second all-star team. Hearst forward Zachary Demers was also named to the second all-star team.
While those names have been highlighted, Dirracolo and Long say the locker room camaraderie is a major factor in the teams success.
“Honestly this is the best team chemistry I have been a part of,” says Dirracolo. “The whole team, we are all brothers in there. It starts with our coaching staff, our trainers, the whole team, our fans, it’s just a whole brotherhood and we have good team chemistry.”
“This is the closest group I have been a part of,” added Long. “It’s crazy to think we haven’t been together for a whole year, you would think we have known each other our whole lives. It starts with our coaches, everyone’s friends, everyone is awesome together and we hangout together all the time.
“I don’t think we could have asked for a better team.”
As for Kaedyn, the series against the Lumberjacks promises to be fun as he mentioned Hearst as his favourite destination as an away player on the Frontline.
“It’s a long trip, but the fans are crazy and it’s always electric in that building and it’s fun to play in for sure.”
But that doesn’t mean the hometown fans in Powassan are forgotten about.
“The fans are awesome. We had a chance to play some ball hockey and done some community events and the fans are awesome. They’re always at the games, and Powassan is a bit of a smaller barn than some but it’s packed every night and electric in that building and the fans going crazy. I couldn’t have asked for better fans this year.”
“It’s a hockey town, right?” asked Dirracolo. “North Bay is a huge hockey town; Powassan is a huge hockey town so it’s fun playing in front of them and they get pretty rowdy.”
Considering the point difference in the other East Division match up (74 points separated the Timmins Rock and French River Rapids), a lot of the attention will likely fall to the Hearst and Powassan battle. For the Long and Dirracolo, they relish the opportunity.
“I think we’re pretty even down the lineup on both sides,” stated Long. “It’s going to be a fun series to watch for everyone, and Hearst is electric. It’s going to be fun to play in for sure.”
“It’s going to be a war, it will take everything out of you,” added Dirracolo. “The series might be one goal games the whole way, it’s going to be super close.”
“The key to winning will be shutting down their top guys and playing the right way as a team,” echoed Little.
The series kicks off with games one and two in Hearst on March 25 and 26, before the games shift to Powassan for games three and four on March 28 and 29.
For players like Alex Little, Kaedyn Long, Daniel Dirracolo and the whole team, the hope is for more than two games in front of the crowd in Powassan, and with a roster this tight and talented, the probability remains high.
