Eagles head home with 2-0 lead on Voodoos
Breaking open a tie game with five unanswered goals, the Soo Eagles went on to upend the Powassan Voodoos 6-1 Saturday in Game 2 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final at the Powassan Sportsplex.
With the outcome, the Eagles take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven match-up as the series shifts to Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., for Game 3 Tuesday at 7 p.m.
As they did in Friday’s opener, the Eagles opened the scoring when Logan Stawizynski put a pass ahead that allowed Jacob Peterson to burst past a Voodoos’ defenceman and snap a shot into the right corner on netminder Cole Vreugdenhil, just over five minutes into the proceedings.
After being stymied on a number of power plays in the frame to pull even, including a two-man advantage, Powassan eventually tied it at even strength at 18:44 when Pavel Barclay potted his second of the series by pumping in a bouncing puck off a Dylan Rousselle chance that eluded goaltender Jace Knoerle.
In the middle stanza, the Soo retook the lead seven minutes in as Lucas Caulfield finished off a feed put to the top of the crease by Nolan Nemecek.
The Eagles then went up by a pair while up a skater when Nemecek skated by a Voodoos’ player then took a cross-ice pass from Caulfield and lifted it high over the glove of Vreugdenhil.
Action in the third period saw Nemecek add some insurance three minutes in as he benefitted from a turnover and ripped a shot off the post and in on a screened Powassan goalkeeper for his second of the night.
Adding to their cushion while shorthanded, Stawizynski chased down a dump-in and put a back pass to a wide-open Peterson, who finished off his second of the night.
Wrapping up the result, the Eagles’ Povorozniouk made a nice spin move then set-up Coulson Bell for the evening’s final tally.
No. 2 Powassan Voodoos vs. No. 7 Soo Eagles
Game 1: Eagles 7, Voodoos 4
Game 2: Eagles 6, Voodoos 1
Game 3: Tuesday, March 24 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 4: Wednesday, March 25 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 5*: Friday, March 27 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Powassan Sportsplex)
Game 6*: Sunday, March 29 @ Soo 6 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 7*: Tuesday, March 31 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Powassan Sportsplex)
*-if necessary
Soo leads best-of-seven series 2-0
