KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – A Dalton Anderson second period goal held up to be the game-winner as the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners dealt the previously unbeaten Powassan Voodoos their first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League loss of the season by a 3-1 count Sunday at the Joe Mavrinac Community Centre.
After a scoreless opening period, Kirkland Lake would get on the board first near the eight-minute mark of the second as Jamey Lauzon snapped home a loose puck following a face-off deep in Powassan territory.
The Gold Miners added to their lead at 13:01 as Evan Bidenti skated out from behind the net then fired a cross-ice pass to Anderson, who had a tap in on Voodoos netminder Garrett Forrest.
No. 1 Canadian Junior Hockey League ranked Powassan answered that 44 seconds later when a pinching Christian Whitcomb darted in from high left defence position and snapped one past Kirkland Lake goaltender Victor-Olivier Courchesne.
Both sides tightened up again the rest of the way with the game’s final tally not coming until the late going when the Gold Miners’ Brayden Stortz wristed one from his own territory down into an empty net with a half minute to play.
Both goaltenders were solid throughout with Courchesne making 24 stops to record the win.
Forrest also had a strong game in defeat for the Voodoos as he finished the night with 28 saves in defeat.
With the result, Kirkland Lake raises their record to 11-4-1-1 while Powassan slipped to 14-1-0-0 on the season in suffering their first loss.
