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When a team wins as much as the Powassan Voodoos have this season, they are bound to eventually experience all of the different ways a team can possibly win. On Saturday, it was the jump out to the early lead, let the undermanned visitors back in it, and win it late on a goal late routine.
The winner came off the stick of Ryan Theriault, another clutch contribution from what seems like a constantly rotating cast of big game players on this Voodoos team.
This Beavers team is dressing call-up players, playing only a dozen or so regulars per game. They have advanced to the finals on the backs of their sublime scoring star, Yianni Liarakos and their immovable captain, Anthony Pullicino, one of two forwards on the team who has been forced to play defence due to a rash of playoff injuries.
Perhaps any other year, this Cinderella would have its comeuppance, but it is not looking likely against the powerhouse Voodoos, who roll four lines and pay no mind to who gets the limelight.
Brett Hahkala, one of five Voodoos players to fight through flu-like symptoms leading up to game time, opened the scoring 2:51 into the game on a rocket from the right faceoff circle that zipped under the arm of Blind River starting goaltender Myles Hektor. Hektor started in place of Aidan Doak, who opened the series between the pipes.
Powassan's powerplay then went to work, as NOJHL-leading goal scorer Andy Baker scored a goal scorer's goal, gathering the puck off a Gary Mantz pass in the corner and making a power move to the slot area. Mantz's assist extended his point streak to all ten Powassan playoff games and led to Baker's shot to the lower right side of the net that beat Hektor and the Voodoos looked as though they might cruise to an easy victory.
Not so fast, as these Beavers were not eager to be run out of the Sportsplex. Before the first period expired, Liarakos played distributor, feeding Max Khull for a powerplay marker from the slot that cut the Powassan lead to 2-1.
After a physical, yet scoreless second period, the teams opened the third skating at 4-on-4. Just 43 seconds later, the Beavers had tied the contest, as Zak Lambrecht kept after the puck in front of a sprawling Nate McDonald, eventually putting the puck into the net to make it 2-2.
The Voodoos never wavered from playing their game, exuding confidence that the winner would come from their side. Sure enough, with 6:07 to play, Theriault played the hero, scoring from the top of the crease on assists from Hahkala and Tyson Gilmour, who had two helpers on the night.
Theriault was typically modest after putting his team up 2-0 in the Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy championship series. "I stuck with it, I was the high guy, Gilmour got a nice shot on net and it came right out to me. Easy but big."
Nate McDonald, another player who had been under the weather last week, improved to 10-0 in the playoffs, making 28 saves in the Voodoos' 10th straight postseason win. Hektor took the loss, ending up with 29 saves.
Asked what the key was to having success away from the Sportsplex, Theriault responded, "Road games, we have to keep our composure. Just ride and grind, play greasy."
Wray echoed his player's sentiments on what's necessary to prevail on the road. Wray said that in a perfect world, his team would win Thursday and Friday and leave nothing to chance, but ideally "we're looking for a split. As a road coach, you're always looking to get one out of the two, then come back home."
Wray is indifferent to the undefeated postseason, wanting only to win the championship. "We don't care about any streak whatsoever, we just care that we win, not where we win. We want to win four games as quick as possible."
Much of the attention to detail and the belief that playing the Voodoos way will lead to success can be attributed to Wray and his coaching staff. Younger, and often outweighed by their opponents, from top to bottom the Powassan organization had adopted the motto "find a way," and this playoff season, they have done just that.
