POWASSAN – A Jake Staples goal on a clear-cut breakaway with 1:46 remaining was the difference as the Powassan Voodoos edged the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 4-3 Wednesday in Game 4 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League East Division semifinal at the Powassan Sportsplex.
Powassan now leads the best-of-seven affair 3-1 and will have a chance to end the series Friday in Game 5, which will be held at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex in Kirkland Lake at 7:30 p.m.
Each side came out skating in the opening 20 minutes with both clubs scoring twice.
Aaron Dart got things going for the Voodoos at 6:09 only to see the Gold Miners answer back a minute and a half later on a Charles Bruneau-Crete effort.
Special teams then allowed the get one apiece via the power play with Staples snapping one home for Powassan at 8:47 while Jamey Lauzon countered for Kirkland Lake at 11:30.
The man advantage saw the Voodoos that their third lead of the evening near the six-minute mark of the second as David Sherman fired in his fifth tally of the postseason.
Answering right back, the visitors drew level 34 seconds later as Ryan Aubertin knotted the score at 3-3.
It stayed that way until late in regulation when Staples found his way behind the Gold Miners defence and was sent in all alone on a crisp pass from his own zone and skated in before making a couple of quick dekes then pulling right and stuffing in the game-winner past a sprawled Josh Erickson.
Kirkland Lake pulled Erickson in the final minute in favour of an extra attacker only to seee the Voodoos shut the door and hold on for the decision.
Bo Peltier and Brendan D’Agostino both picked up two assists each on the night for the Voodoos, including on Staples’ winning effort.
Matt Young finished with 22 saves to pick up the win and improve to 5-1 in the playoffs.
Erickson faced 29 shots in the setback for the Gold Miners.
