Barclay hat trick powers Voodoos past Beavers

The Powassan Voodoos saw first-year forward Pavel Barclay score three times, including collecting the eventual game-winner, to help his side skate to a 7-2 victory over the Blind River Beavers Saturday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at the Powassan Sportsplex.

The Voodoos got on the board five and a half minutes into the proceedings when Barclay snapped in a play put his way from teammate Dylan Rousselle that eluded Beavers’ starter Mason Janicki.

Adding another prior to the midway point of the first period, Caleb Dawson snagged a chance in close and lifted it over the pad of Janicki for his 12th tally of the campaign.

Barclay then bagged another at 13:40 as he collected a puck that bounced in front that he quickly buried.

Blind River got one back before the intermission thanks to Levi Lux who pumped in a rebound off a point shot generated by Austin Schultz.

Pulling to within one in the middle session, Schultz fired one from up top that flew by bodies and past Powassan netminder Cole Vreugdenhil.

Going back up by two midway through the contest, Powassan’s Ryan Saginaw jumped on a chance in the slot and scored for the 15th time this season.

Building on that, the Voodoos’ Jesse Lefebvre took a pass from Parker Bonsignore and put a backhand to the target that leaked through Janicki to make it 5-2.

They had an opportunity to add another but Justin Sullivan, who had entered in relief of Janicki, thwarted Saginaw on a penalty shot with a poke check.

Powassan did however put it away in the final frame beginning with Lefebvre muscling his way in and beating Sullivan from a sharp angle.

Barclay then completed his first NOJHL hat trick as he found himself free at the right of the crease where he roofed an in-close chance to round out the scoring.

With the result, the Voodoos improve to 13-7-0-2 overall and with the loss, the Beavers fall to 7-12-0-3.