Multi-point efforts from Ty McKay; Mathieu Comeau and Chase Thompson helped the Hearst Lumberjacks outlast the Soo Eagles 7-4 in a fast-paced Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Friday, September 19th at Claude Larose Recreation Centre.

With both clubs finding their skating legs early, it was the visiting Eagles who got on the board first in the contest, just a few seconds into the night’s initial power play opportunity.

On the tally, Sault Ste. Marie controlled a draw in the Hearst zone which allowed defenceman Carter Huckson to snap a shot from the right side that was tipped in by Anden Marceau at 3:49.

Pulling even moments into a man advantage of their own midway through the opening frame, Thompson tucked in a loose puck that came out from the end boards off a rising Comeau attempt from the slot.

Retaking the lead at the 13-minute mark, the Soo won another face-off that led to C.J. Zaharias pumping an attempt on target from the point and saw Ethan Hoff bat in a backhand from the top of the crease for his first NOJHL goal.

More from the Eagles a couple of shifts later saw Ilian Danilov dart down the right wing and fire one off the pad of Boivin, but the rebound went right to Nolan Nemecek in the left circle who promptly hammered it into the net.

The free-flowing period continued at 17:31 as the Lumberjacks’ Cole Shepherdson worked a feed from down low to Tyson Osachoff who quickly ripped it upstairs on Knoerle for his initial league effort.

More from Shepherdson in the middle stanza saw him left with a tap-in off a McKay set-up while Hearst moved the play around nicely while up a skater.

A number of point-blank quality stops by Knoerle later in the period kept the game tied.

However, the hosts continued to press and took the lead late in the second when Hugo Allard at the point spotted Jasha Bichin in close that allowed his pass to aid him in roofing a backhander at 17:58.

Continuing to go back and forth in the final frame, the Soo pulled even at 7:10 thanks to Micah Seery, who ripped in a wrister from the top of the right circle for his first NOJHL tally.

Getting the go-ahead marker on a delayed penalty, Julien Trudel fired a shot that bounced to an open McKay who quickly whipped it into the open side with 6:15 remaining in regulation for the eventual game-winner.

Getting Knoerle out for an extra attacker with 93 seconds remaining in regulation, the visitors looked to knot the score once more, but Comeau swiped the puck off a defender at his own blueline then raced down the ice and scored into the empty net.

Then in the final moments with the Eagles’ goalkeeper trying to get to the bench once more, McKay wrapped things up by connecting from the neutral zone in finishing off the victory.