NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Feb. 12, 2016
Hepler’s point streak reaches 22 in Wildcats win over Voodoos
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – Cole Hepler dished out two assists to extend a consecutive game point to 22 in succession in aiding the Elliot Lake Wildcats to a narrow 3-2 win over the Powassan Voodoos in a tightly-contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up Friday at Centennial Arena.
Neither side would get on the board in a scoreless opening 20 minutes with Elliot Lake starter Al Rogers and his Powassan counterpart in Garrett Forrest kept opposing shooters at bay.
Hepler and Josef Kittelberger, who also had two assists on the night, combined to set-up Spencer MacLean for his 26th of the campaign at 4:27, which was the lone marker of the middle stanza.
The same duo then drew helpers on a second Wildcats tally, which came off the stick of Liam Blais midway through the third period.
Powassan pulled to within two at 11:24 as Michael Silveri notched his 25th to make it a 2-1 game.
Elliot Lake’s Alec MacKenzie’s 18th answered that with 5:11 remaining to put the home side back up by two.
The Voodoos did get closer with 2:47 left in regulation courtesy of a Nicholas Siracuse effort, but that’s as close as the visitors would get before time expired.
The 22-game point streak for Hepler is the longest in the NOJHL this season and dates back to Nov. 6 where he has amassed 49 points on 26 goals and 23 assists in that span.
He has only been held off the score sheet four times since he rejoined the club back on Oct. 9.
Rogers finished with 27 saves in recording the win for the Wildcats while Forrest made 36 stops in defeat for the Voodoos.
