Thunderbirds live to play another day

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League championship is going to come down to one game.

The Soo Thunderbirds forced a seventh and deciding game in the NOJHL final with a 2-0 win over the Hearst Lumberjacks on Monday night in Hearst.

A late goal in the second period turned out to be the difference for the Thunderbirds as Nolan Ford scored in the final seconds of the frame.

Ford beat Hearst netminder Nic Tallarico in close with just 3.4 seconds to go in the second period for what was the eventual game-winning goal.

William Anderson stopped 34 shots, including 15 in the third period, for the shutout.

Lucas Theriault sealed the win with an empty net goal as time expired in the final period.

Tallarico made 22 saves.

After winning the series opener on home ice, the Thunderbirds dropped three straight games to the Lumberjacks and faced a deep hole before battling back with a pair of wins to force the deciding game.

Game seven is set for Wednesday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

The winner of that game will represent the NOJHL at the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Cochrane, Ont.

The annual Central Canada Championship will open on April 30 and features the host team, the Cochrane Crunch and the league champions from the NOJHL, the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Superior International Junior Hockey League.

The OJHL champion has been determined and the league will be represented at the event by the Oakville Blades, who swept the Wellington Dukes in the league final.

The SIJHL will be represented by the Thunder Bay North Stars, who won the league title with a five-game series win over the Red Lake Miners.