Rousselle registers hat trick in Voodoos win over Rock

Defenceman Dylan Rousselle’s first career hat trick helped lead the Powassan Voodoos to a 4-1 victory over the Timmins Rock Friday in a fast-paced Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matchup at the Powassan Sportsplex. 

The Voodoos notched the night’s initial marker 8:17 into the contest when Rousselle corralled a bouncing puck in the Rock zone and worked his way to the middle where he roofed a shot over the shoulder of netminder Ayden Mullen.

Collecting the assist on the tally was Ryan Saginaw who has now picked up at least one point in nine straight outings.

After trading chances at either end of the ice the remainder of the period, Powassan carried their 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

On the power play to begin the second stanza, Matthew Kim drew the Rock level a minute and a half in as he lifted a shot from the blueline that clipped off the stick of a defender and went through the legs of Powassan goaltender Derrick Champagne.

Restoring the lead 11 minutes later, Rousselle connected once more for the Voodoos as he took a cross-ice feed from Benjamin Coupal and after entering the Timmins zone on the left side snapped in his second of the night with a well-placed attempt from the top of the left circle for the eventual game-winner.

Into the third session, Powassan went up by a pair on an early man advantage thanks to Marcus Krats, who side-stepped around a Rock skater in between the circles and ripped in his 10th of the campaign.

Extending their cushion on a five-on-three, Rousselle hit his hat trick as he snagged the rebound off a Krats shot, then whipped it past Mullen to round out the scoring.

With the outcome, the Voodoos raise their record to 24-10-1-2 and with the loss, the Rock fall to 29-8-0-1.