PHOTOS: Petrah Joehl – Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – An impressive coast-to-coast rush, and goal, by Noah Kohan, with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation, finished off a comeback as the Greater Sudbury Cubs rallied past the Powassan Voodoos 4-3 Thursday evening in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League inter-divisional affair at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Converting on the night’s initial man advantage opportunity, the visiting Voodoos opened the scoring at 4:15 when Mathieu MacMillan teed up defenceman Carson Ricci at the top of the right circle, who whipped a shot past a partially screened Noah Metivier in the Cubs’ net.
Powassan added another midway through the first period as Nick Beatty chipped a play ahead that allowed Caden Dubreuil to dash in down the left wing and wire one by Metivier.
That also resulted in Greater Sudbury making a goaltending change, with Noah Beaulne entering the contest for the home side.
A buzzer-beater just before time expired in the frame saw the Cubs cut into the deficit when Hudson Martin took a pass across from D-partner Brock Houser at the point and fired it towards the target through a maze that managed to elude Voodoos’ starter Daniel Dirracolo, with Marshall McCharles parked in front.
Restoring their two-goal lead in the back half of the middle stanza saw Powassan push a play ahead with numbers, that led to MacMillan opting to shoot from the right side on a two-on-one and wired it off the post and in at 13:54.
Pulling back to within one before the second intermission, Greater Sudbury’s Ryan Rubic swooped in and snagged a loose puck in the slot and pumped it past Dirracollo.
Answering with an early equalizer in the third, the Cubs drew level at 1:06 thanks to Hudson Chitaroni jamming in a cross-crease feed from Oliver Smith.
Supplying a highlight-reel marker half-way through the period, Kohan collected the puck from Beaulne, then proceeded on an end-to-end dash as he flew up ice along the side wall, then drove hard to the net and fired one upstairs to give the hosts the lead.
A big point-blank save by Beaulne with two and a half minutes helped secure the victory.
The come from behind win sees Greater Sudbury move to 19-6-0-0 on the season.
In defeat, Powassan falls to 14-8-0-2.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
