French River skates past Powassan
A couple of Daniil Grishachev markers, including the game-winner, sent the French River Rapids past the Powassan Voodoos 5-3 Saturday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting at the Powassan Sportsplex.
The Voodoos’ Riley Mesa pressured a turnover to help notch the night’s initial tally that led to Lucas Gunner going down the slot and bury his first NOJHL goal in beating Rapids netminder Nicholas Tarantella.
French River came right back to tie it less than a minute later with Alexandre Dubuc snagging a rebound off a Ryan Hay attempt and stuffing the equalizer past Powassan starter Austin Seibel.
Then going up a skater, the visitors took the lead at 3:43 when Hunter Vilanez was set-up in the slot and ripped in his initial league marker.
A late power play helped the home side draw level when Caden Dubreuil snagged a loose puck in front off a Jackson Smith point shot and lift a backhand over a sprawled Tarentella.
Moving to the middle frame, the Rapids went back in front with the lone marker in the session as Daniil Grishachev clicked at 5:09 as he pumped in his own rebound from the top of the crease.
In the third, another from Grishachev added to the French River lead six minutes in as he redirected in a Michael Christopoulos wrister from the left circle.
They then put the game away with a long-range empty netter off the stick of Nolan Masson.
Powassan did get the night’s final goal, coming in the waning moments, when Jeremy Schoenborn spun in the right circle and sent a knuckler over Tarentella to pick-up his first in league play.
The result gives the Rapids their initial win as they move to 1-1-0-1 while the Voodoos fall to 1-4-0-0 in defeat.
