Photos: Cassy Seguin
FRENCH RIVER – A big night offensively from Mathieu MacMillan, including notching a pair of tallies, helped pace the Powassan Voodoos to a convincing 9-3 win over the French River Rapids Saturday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up at Noelville Arena.
Alexander Case and Reyth Smith also had a couple of markers apiece for the Voodoos in the triumph, while Dominic Bzdyl connected twice for the Rapids.
Bzdyl cashed in on a rebound off the shoulder of Powassan netminder Dan Dirracolo for an early 1-0 lead just over five minutes in.
Case took a quick shot from the blueline that got through traffic and beat Brady Dyer to tie it.
After some furious pressure, the home squad capitalized on a turnover in the slot at Abram Snider beat Dirracolo for a 2-1 advantage at 15:22.
Late in the first Caden Dubreuil snuck a quick release one time shot behind Dyer after a nice short pass from MacMillan to make it 2-2.
Early in the second, it was Case again, as he took another quick shot from the point and it found its way by Dyer for a 3-2 Voodoos lead less than three minutes into the middle frame.
Midway through the second, off a draw, Ryan Patrick took a shot off a faceoff win by Justin Rousseau and beat Dyer for a 4-2 cushion at 9:09 of the middle frame.
The Rapids got within one during four-on-four play as Bzdyl beat Dirracolo high on a rush and quick shot coming down the left wing.
The Voodoos got it back as Smith ripped a shot coming down the left wing which eluded Dyer.
MacMillan then took a feed from Caleb Dawson midway through the third, flying down the left wing, and converting.
MacMillan got his second on a late power play as he fired a quick shot from the right wing for a 7-3 cushion.
Dylan McElhinny was sent in alone and tucked the puck around the French River goalkeeper with his long reach at 16:29.
Smith added another as he put in a rebound off a Dawson shot to finish off the scoring.