Hearst Lumberjacks forward Maddoc Newton celebrates his first period goal during Friday night’s NOJHL contest at the McIntyre Arena. Newton also added an assist in the game, as the Lumberjacks went on to defeat the Timmins Rock 4-2 in the first half of a home-and-home series. The two teams will conclude the series at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre on Sunday, at 4 p.m. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS
Maddoc Newton scored a goal and set up another as the Hearst Lumberjacks doubled up the Timmins Rock 4-2 in the first half of a home-and-home series at the McIntyre Arena Friday night.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
The two sides will place the second half of the series at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre on Sunday, at 4 p.m.
Newton’s second goal of the season staked the Lumberjacks to a 1-0 lead 12:08 into the opening frame Friday night.
It appeared the visitors would take that advantage into the first intermission, but Kaeden McArthur converted a feed from Harry Clark for his fourth goal of the season with 2.12 seconds remaining on the clock.
A Liam Wells power-play marker, his fourth goal of the season, then gave the Rock a 2-1 lead 6:13 into the middle frame.
The Rock ran into difficulty getting the puck out of their own end later in the period, however, and the Lumberjacks made them pay.
Liam Boswell converted a bang-bang play in front of Rock goalie Patrick Boivin at the 17:10 mark for his fourth goal of the season.
Then, a minute and a half later, Owen Hey scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal, his third tally of the season.
The Rock had an excellent opportunity late in the third period to get back on even terms when they pulled Boivin in favour of an extra attacker at the start of a two-minute power play.
Adam Shillinglaw deposited the puck into the empty Rock cage for his first goal of the season, a shorthanded marker, however, to ice the victory for the Lumberjacks.
Russ Decoste turned aside 29 of the 31 shots the Rock directed his way to earn the victory.
Boivin, who blocked 11 of the 14 shots directed his way, was tagged with the loss.
NOJHL NOTES — The Daily Press three stars of the game were Newton, Clark and Decoste … The Rock went 1-5 on the power play, while the Lumberjacks were 0-3 with the man advantage … Rock blue-liner Kyle Trottier and McArthur both left the game with upper-body injuries … Official attendance at the McIntyre Arena was 1,024 … Friday night’s other action saw the Eagles top the Iroquois Falls Storm 5-2 in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the Beavers knock off the Powassan Voodoos 5-2 in Blind River and the Paper Kings blank the Elliot Lake Vikings 5-0 in Espanola … The Rock will take on the Lumberjacks at the Claude Larose Recreation Centre on Sunday, at 4 p.m.
