Voodoos swept away by Lumberjacks

A Max Griffioen marker 9:18 into the third period proved to be the decider as the surging Hearst Lumberjacks went on to defeat the Powassan Voodoos 3-1 Thursday evening in Game 4 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Division Final at the Powassan Sportsplex.

With the win, the Lumberjacks take the best-of-seven East Division Final in four straight and will now move on to their first-ever NOJHL championship series against either the Soo Thunderbirds or Rayside-Balfour Canadians.

An early man advantage helped Powassan pot the night’s opening tally as Tomas Yachmenev neatly deflected a shot from the right point by Voodoos’ captain Eric Allair.

Hearst drew level with a man advantage marker of their own at 15:12 of the second stanza as Griffioen teed one up for Alec Johnson at the point, who promptly one-timed a blast past Powassan goaltender Joe Vrbetic who was screened in front.

It was more Lumberjacks midway through the third as a long breakout play off a faceoff win deep in their own zone saw Griffioen get past a Powassan defender, which allowed him to dart in and raise a backhander over Vrbetic.

Hearst then sealed the series-clinching decision in the final minute as Bradley Golant won a race for a loose puck and put one into an empty net at 19:19.

Nicholas Tallarico made 35 saves for Lumberjacks, who won their seventh straight playoff contest.

Vrbetic finished with 25 stops in the season-ending setback for Powassan.