PHOTOS: Rob Fera – Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – A Brady Bouchard marker in the latter stages of the second period proved to be the game-winner as the Greater Sudbury Cubs went on to hold off the Powassan Voodoos 5-3 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Thursday evening at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
A superb start saw Greater Sudbury take the lead just 15 seconds into the match-up when defenceman Josh Kavanagh went to the net and took a pass from behind the goal line from Samuel Assinewai and snapped it past Powassan starter Miles Gordon.
The Cubs then went up by a pair during a man advantage midway through the first period when Chris Innes teed up Assinewai for a one-timer at the top of the right circle that he blasted in for his 15th of the campaign.
Cutting into the deficit a couple of shifts later, the Voodoos got on the board when Ryan Patrick snagged a loose puck and stuffed in a backhand from the right of Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Noah Metivier.
Up a skater early in the middle stanza, the visitors drew level off a draw as Mathieu MacMillan put a play in front from the end boards that was quickly swatted in by Cameron Lemcke at 2:49.
Adding another off a face-off, Tucker Shields worked it to an unmarked Patrick, who promptly hammered it in from the right hash mark to put the guests in front.
Answering with an equalizer of their own, the hosts tied it while on a power play when Hudson Chitaroni neatly deflected in an Innes attempt from the left point at 14:47.
Retaking the lead a couple of minutes later, Bouchard put the Cubs back on top as he darted down the right wing and fired a shot through Gordon for the eventual difference maker.
The score stayed that way until the final minute of regulation, when Chitaroni iced it with an empty netter to help secure the home ice victory.
With the outcome, Greater Sudbury, despite being out shot, gets the win and raises their record to 29-7-1-1 overall, while in defeat Powassan falls to 20-14-0-2.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
