NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, March 31, 2017
NOJHL East Division Final preview: Powassan Voodoos vs. Timmins Rock
SUDBURY, Ont. – Game 1 of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s East Division Final between the Powassan Voodoos and Timmins Rock goes Friday evening at 7 p.m. at the Powassan Sportsplex.
The following is a preview of this best-of-seven affair:
HOW THEY ARRIVED: East Division semifinal action saw the regular season champion Voodoos sweep the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners to earn their way into this series.
The Rock meanwhile got by the rival Cochrane Crunch in six back and forth outings that included a pair of overtime games, which were both won by Timmins, including the finale.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: There were a total of eight get togethers between the Voodoos and the Rock during the regular season.
After Timmins won the initial two meetings, Powassan reeled off six straight victories to take the season set 6-2.
Two of the games were decided in double overtime.
POINT PRODUCERS: Voodoos blueliner Dayton Murray led his club in points against Timmins during the season with 12 that featured five goals.
Ryan Bazzana was next with 10 points followed by Andy Baker’s nine and Tyson Gilmour’s eight.
Wayne Mathieu’s nine points led the Rock offensively vs. the Voodoos as he scored five times and assisted on four others.
Stewart Parnell and Tyler Romain were close by with seven each and Jordan Rendle supplied six.
Gilmour leads Powassan in postseason scoring with eight points in just four games as he’s notched a team-high five goals and assisted on three more.
Parker Bowman and Gary Mantz are next on the squad with six points apiece.
Bain Cunningham has had a terrific playoff so far for Timmins as he’s racked up a club-best 12 points on three markers and nine helpers.
Romain is second on the Rock by getting on the scoresheet nine times along with rookie Stewart Parnell while captain Jorden Rendle has done it six times.
Parnell’s five goals lead Timmins.
Of the six game-winning markers the Voodoos had, the NOJHL’s leading goal getter, in Andy Baker, had two of them as did D-man Murray.
Rendle and Mathieu were the marksmen on the deciding tallies picked up by the Rock.
THE TENDERS: Nate McDonald went 5-2 in starts for Powassan against Timmins during the season with Andrew Suriano going 1-0.
Rock netminder Al Rogers suffered the setback in each of the final five meetings between the two sides.
Playoff action has McDonald with four straight victories in as many starts while Rogers is 4-2 overall.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Powassan is second overall in playoff power play proficiency at 35.3% as they’ve struck six times in 17 man advantage opportunities.
Timmins sits eighth in this department at 10.8%. They have four extra man markers in 37 chances.
The Voodoos are presently fourth on the penalty kill at 85.7% while the Rock is sixth at 76%.
WHAT’S NEXT: Awaiting the winner will be a berth in league championship series vs either the Blind River Beavers or Soo Eagles.
Awaiting the NOJHL champion will be a berth at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. ‘A’ Championship, May 2-6, in Trenton, Ont.
All NOJHL playoff games are streamed online at HockeyTV.com.
THE SCHEDULE
East Division Final
No. 1 Powassan Voodoos vs. No. 3 Timmins Rock
Best-of-seven series
Game 1: Friday, March 31 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 2: Saturday, April 1 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 3: Tuesday, April 4 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 5 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 5*: Friday, April 7 @ Powassan 7 p.m. (Sportsplex)
Game 6*: Sunday, April 9 @ Timmins 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 12 @ Powassan 7:30 p.m. (Sportsplex)
*-if necessary
With files from NOJHL Statistician & Historian David Harrison