NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
*************************
Striking three times on the power play, including collecting the game-winner off the stick of Jack Kruiderink with 2:16 remaining in regulation, lifted the Blind River Beavers to a narrow 4-3 win over the Soo Thunderbirds Sunday in the third game of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final in front of a good crowd at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
The victory gives the Beavers a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 Tuesday, back in the Soo, at 7 p.m.
After some early Blind River pressure, it was Sault Ste. Marie who countered to take the lead 8:22 in.
On the tally, James Legler chipped a feed ahead to Callum McAuley who came in on the right side and found plenty of room to snap a shot high over the blocker of Beavers netminder Bronx Bodnar.
Tying it up on a late man advantage, the visitor’s Nicholas MacIsaac took a pass up top from Kruiderink and sent a wrister to the target that Thunderbirds’ starter Noah Metivier could only get a piece of before it went in, while bodies battled in front.
Building on that, MacIsaac notched another early in the middle stanza as he snagged a set-up at the point from Kruiderink, moved along the blueline, then put one through traffic for his second of the night.
More extra-man efficiency from Beavers made it 3-1 at 5:15 as Mason Taylor teed up Jonah McIndoo in the left circle where he wired an attempt past Metivier.
The marker resulted in the Soo making a goaltending change as Lincoln Mellenthin entered in relief for the T-Birds.
Cutting into the deficit at 13:54, the Thunderbirds broke out with pace, which led to James Elliot firing a crisp cross-ice pass across to Aiden Atkinson who proceeded to rip a short-side sizzler by Bodnar.
The hosts pushed hard to level the proceedings prior to the intermission, however the Blind River goalkeeper made a couple of point-blank stops to keep his side ahead after 40 minutes.
Pulling even 5:07 into the third though, the T-Birds’ Jonathan Sonedecker put one on the tape of an unmarked Jacob Smith, who then pumped in the equalizer from the slot.
Retaking the lead in the late going, while up a skater, Kruiderink exchanged a pass from MacIsaac then cruised the through the left circle before sending the decider into the top left-corner.
Getting Mellenthin out for another skater, the Soo pressed feverishly to draw even once more and send it to overtime, but Bodnar and the Beavers held firm at the end to secure the road triumph.
*************************