Photos: Cassy Seguin
FRENCH RIVER – The Powassan Voodoos got a couple of goals from Dylan McElhinny to help them defeat the French River Rapids 5-1 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Saturday at Noelville Arena.
The two teams battled through a scoreless first period as they hit the intermission still in search of the evening’s initial tally.
In the second stanza, Powassan opened the scoring less than two minutes in when Chase Thompson cycled out of the corner and fed Reyth Smith in the slot who fired a quick one-timer past French River netminder Brady Dyer.
The Voodoos then notched another right after that with Caleb Dawson collecting his sixth of the season as he buried one from a similar spot on the ice, past a partially screened Dyer.
A man advantage helped the visitors extend their lead at 6:28 when McElhinny swatted in a loose puck that was put back to him while situated at the top of the crease.
Up a skater themselves, Matthew Stringer buried a shot from the right circle that flew past a screened Tyson Wilcox in the Powassan net.
Countering, Powassan popped in two more, with McElhinny tucking one five-hole on a partial break and Ryan Patrick making it 5-1 as he knuckled one in off a defender to spell the end of Dyer’s night in favour of back-up Elijah Grant.
The would be it for any more markers as the Voodoos held firm defensively the rest of the way to secure the road result.
With the win, Powassan raises their record to 21-14-0-2 and with the loss, French River falls to 8-29-1-0.
