After a tough start to the regular season, the Soo Thunderbirds appear to be finding their groove.
The team has won seven of their last 10 games after picking up a 6-2 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League win over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Saturday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
The Thunderbirds scored three times in the third period to break open what turned into a close game through two periods.
Dharan Cap opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds 3:45 into the contest as he found himself in the slot where he proceeded to beat Kirkland Lake goaltender John Lloyd high stick side
Cap picked up his second of the night at 8:45 after he took a pass from Youssef Chaouachi and beat Lloyd glove side.
Kirkland Lake got on the board at 10:51 as Chad Van Weelie took a pass in the slot from Christian Genova following a turnover below the goalline and beat Thunderbirds starter Landon Miller to make it a 2-1 game.
Chaouachi made it 3-1 Thunderbirds 1:11 into the second period when he took a pass from Cap on the right wing while going to the net and beat Lloyd with a backhand.
Just six seconds later, Chance DeBolt cut the Thunderbirds lead back down to one as he scored on a rebound after Miller stopped him initially in close.
With the Thunderbirds on the power play and up by two men, Cap got his third of the night on a redirection in tight off a pass from Chaouachi in the opening minute of the third period.
The locals took a 5-2 lead as Ethan Novello beat Lloyd during a scramble in the slot.
Jackson Truchan made it 6-2 midway through the third when he beat Lloyd 5-hole on a shorthanded breakaway.
Cap finished the night with four points, picking up an assist in addition to his hat trick.
Chaouachi added a goal and two assists while Truchan had one of each and Austin Fellinger assisted on a pair of goals in the win.
Miller made 20 saves.
Lloyd stopped 42 shots for the Gold Miners.
The Thunderbirds improve to 12-7-0-1 and pull to within one point of the Blind River Beavers in the NOJHL’s West Division.
The loss drops Kirkland Lake’s record to 2-16-1-0.
Saturday’s win by the Thunderbirds comes on the heels of a 4-2 win on Friday night in Elliot Lake over the Red Wings.
Truchan and Fellinger had a goal and an assist each for the Thunderbirds while Chaouachi and Michael Chaffay also scored.
Miller made 31 saves.
Charlie Wesholowski and Thomas Dimoulas scored for Elliot Lake.
Red Wings goaltender Cameron Smith stopped 30 shots.
The Thunderbirds will return to action on Nov. 4 on the road against the Powassan Voodoos.