Goals in every period and a perfect performance from goaltender Noah Metivier helped the Soo Thunderbirds to a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory on Saturday night.
Cooper Foster paced the Thunderbirds offensively with a pair of goals as the locals picked up a 5-0 win over the Espanola Express Saturday at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
Metivier finished the night with 32 saves for the shutout.
Foster, one of four players to pick up a pair of points in Saturday’s victory, opened the scoring in the game with a power play goal midway through the opening period. He took a feed in the left from Brock Santa Maria and beat Espanola starter Reid Gates high short side.
The Ottawa 67’s prospect picked up his second of the night at 12:01 of the third period to extend the Thunderbirds lead to 3-0 at the time after Espanola had a pair of shorthanded chances earlier in the frame.
Youssef Chaouachi picked up his first NOJHL goal just 83 seconds into the second period when he broke down the left wing, cut to the Express net and beat Gates with a backhand to make it 2-0.
Goals by Kelsey Ouellet and Samuel Lake in the latter stages of the third period sealed the win for the Thunderbirds.
Chaouachi and Ouellet had a goal and an assist each for the locals while defenceman Creo Solomon assisted on a pair of goals for the Thunderbirds.
Gates made 40 saves for the Express in the loss.
The Thunderbirds wrap up weekend action on Sunday afternoon on the road in Blind River against the Beavers.