Voodoos come away victorious vs. Paper Kings

A Benjamin Coupal marker nearly seven minutes into the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Powassan Voodoos went on to defeat the Espanola Paper Kings 5-3 in a back-and-forth Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting Friday at the Powassan Sportsplex.

Carter Drigo got things going for the Paper Kings six minutes into first period when he benefitted from a turnover generated by Graydon Guthrie and went in alone on Voodoos’ starter Derrick Champagne and made a move to his right and lifted in a backhand.

Powassan pulled even at 15:10 thanks to Parker Bonsignore, who took a pass across from Dylan Rousselle and whipped it past Espanola’s Logan Vale.

Answering that late in the frame, Drigo picked up one more in the session by taking a Guthrie feed in the slot and using a slight pump fake before ripping it in.

A goaltending change to begin the second period saw newcomer Matthew Lyon enter in relief for Powassan to make his NOJHL debut.

Continuing to trade tallies in the middle stanza, Braeden Begley converted on a Voodoos’ power play at 5:52 after taking a sharp set-up from Owen Head and quickly snapping it past an outstretched Vale.

The Voodoos then took their first lead later in the period thanks to Heath Bradley who steered in a play put to the net by Bruce Grey.

Action in the third period saw Drigo complete a hat trick at 4:21 as he opted to shoot from the left side on a two-on-one and made no mistake from the left circle in eluding Lyon.

Going back on top a couple of shifts later, Coupal clicked for Powassan off another odd-man rush that saw him finish off a feed over from Justin Rousseau.

Caleb Dawson then supplied some insurance for the hosts deep in regulation as he was gifted with his 100th NOJHL point off an errant Vale clearing attempt that he slid into a gaping net from just inside the Espanola blueline to wrap things up. 

With the outcome, the Voodoos improve to 27-11-1-2 while the Paper Kings fall to 22-17-1-3.