Powassan storms back to clip St. Andrew’s
NOJHL Showcase
Rebounding from a two-goal deficit early in the third period, the Powassan Voodoos stormed back to clip the St. Andrew’s College Saints 4-3 Tuesday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase encounter at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
St. Andrew’s began the scoring 11:24 into the first period when Cooper Bordeaux, situated in the high slot, neatly tipped in an Evan Pahanich shot, that eluded Powassan starter Derrick Champagne.
A chance to extend their lead seven minutes into middle stanza, the Saints top point getter, Nolan Long, was sent in alone on a breakaway where he made a move to his right, only to be denied by the outstretched pad of Champagne.
Applying pressure late, St. Andrew’s struck with eight seconds left in the session when Long wheeled out from behind the net and slid a feed high in between the circles where a waiting Finn Kearns roofed rising wrister into the net with authority.
Getting right back in it, 30 seconds into third, Voodoos’ captain Justin Rousseau shovelled one in from the right of a downed Chase Petrova in the St. Andrew’s net that was put in front by teammate Marcus Kratz down low.
Building on that, Powassan tied it just over seven minutes in thanks to Reid de Bokx who saw Jax Pereira wheel out of the corner then feed him on the left side where he cruised into the circle and wired the equalizer into the top shelf.
The Voodoos kept coming and went in front via the power play at 8:33.
On the go ahead marker, Pereira worked a give-and-go with Cayden Kowal and buried a short-side sizzler from a sharp angle on Petrova.
Not done there, Kowal doubled the lead for the NOJHL side with three and a half minutes remaining when his shot from the right wing was stopped but the rebound clipped off the skate of a Saints’ defender and slid in.
A late push in the waning moments saw St. Andrew’s make it 4-3 with an extra attacker at 19:39 as Nate Feiner got enough of in-close chance to get it by Champagne with a slew of bodies crashing the crease.
That proved the final marker of the contest as Powassan pulled out the come from behind win.
Earning player of the game recognition for their respective sides were Champagne and Kearns.
