NEWS

Game three of the tournament got underway Wednesday afternoon with the SIJHL's Dryden Ice Dogs seeking their second win and the NOJHL' s Powassan Voodoos looking for their first victory.

 

The Ice Dogs made two changes from their 5-4 overtime win over Georgetown Raiders in game one with blueliner Garrett Giertuga replacing Matt Leniuk and former Hamilton Red Wing forward Kris Hamlin coming in for Garett Graham.

 

The VooDoos also made two changes as forward Gary Mantz who had to leave the game against Trenton was replaced by affiliate Mason McMahon and Wawa's Cameron Moore was on the blueline instead of Tye Lindeman.

 

Nate McDonald was in the net for the GM Ice Dogs while Patrick Zubick started for the VooDoos. Both 'keepers have played in every playoff game. Powassan were the 'visitors' for this contest.

 

The Ice Dogs had two early powerplays in the first period but could not find the net. However they would get on the scoreboard first courtesy Chris Atanas, his fourth of the post-season. It took less than two minutes for Powassan to reply with a goal ten seconds into a powerplay from veteran defenceman and Spruce Grove, Alberta native, Dayton Murray. They were two men up when he scored on the big blast. He scored eleven times with the man-advantage in the regular season. Another Dryden penalty soon followed but the VooDoos could do no further damage. The 'Dogs had a 15-11 shot advantage.

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The Ice Dogs were doing it the hard way as less than a minute into the second Derek McPhail picked up a slashing minor and the Voodoos took advantage with Port Carling's Andy Baker, who potted 45 goals in the regular season, getting his sixth of the playoffs to put them up 2-1. Hamlin's penalty just over six minutes in for tripping was the sixth straight called against Dryden. The Thunder Bay native would make up for his three times in the box by scoring a powerplay goal at 14.06 assisted by Jacen Bracko and last night's overtime hero, Eric Stout, and it's all tied up at twos. Dryden would find themselves two men short for a minute late in the period. No love lost in this one and it's a draw heading into the third. Powassan had the slight edge in shots on goal, 13-12.

 

The NOJHL squad struck quickly in the third frame on a breakaway, unassisted marker from Gabriel Rheault. That lead would last for not quite two minutes as the Ice Dogs took advantage of a Powassan penalty with Stout scoring from Braedyn  Aubin. The Woodstock, Ont. native, who played briefly for the St. Mary's Lincolns of the GOJHL in 2014-15, had 51 helpers in the past regular campaign for the Dogs. Goals were coming thick and fast now and at 6.30 Parker Bowman reclaimed the lead for Powassan with a solo shorthanded marker. It was his goal number thirteen and point number 22 in the playoffs where he has really come on following a 30-point regular season. A big goal

and a 4-3 win for the Voodoos. Shots on net in the final frame favoured the GM Ice Dogs 11-9.

 

A big comeback for Powassan following their loss in their opener and a disappointing result for Dryden in a close contest. So a win and a loss each for these two clubs with the Voodoos playing Georgetown Thursday afternoon and the GM Ice Dogs tangling with the Golden Hawks in the evening to complete the round-robin.