A solid two-way performance helped the Powassan Voodoos skate to a 3-1 victory over the French River Rapids in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Thursday at Noelville Arena.
The visiting Voodoos set the tone early in this one as they skated out to a 2-0 lead before the contest was 15 minutes old.
Alexander Bradshaw got Powassan going offensively at 10:54 of the first as he notched his sixth tally of the season be deflecting a Ryan O’Dell point shot during a man advantage opportunity.
Newcomer Mike Levin made his presence felt while making his NOJHL debut by finishing off a two-on-one as he lifted a pass from Battalion prospect Chase MacQueen-Spence over top of a sprawling Cole Sheffield in the French River net.
Levin, a 16-year-old London Knights prospect and brother of former Sudbury Wolves star David Levin, joined the Voodoos earlier this week after spending the early part of the year practicing with the Knights.
Heading to the second stanza, it was tight-checking as neither side would convert resulting in the guests carrying their two-tally cushion to the second intermission.
A high hop off a shot block in front of the Rapids net helped the Voodoos go up by three when Ben White finished off a goal-mouth scramble half way through the third.
The Rapids did get one back on a two-man break that saw Josh Russell pass one over to former North Bay Trappers forward Chase Lefebvre who quickly pumped one past Powassan’s Alex Bugeja with just under eight minutes to go.
However, that would be it in terms of scoring the rest of the way as Powassan went on to earn the road decision.
Shots on goal favoured French River by a 46-33 count with Bugeja registering the win and Sheffield suffering the setback.
The Voodoos are back on home ice Friday night as they host the visiting Cochrane Crunch. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at the Powassan Sportsplex.
