BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Once again, led by hometown standout, Caleb Serre scored three times and added an assist to help his side double up the Soo Thunderbirds 6-3 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Saturday at the Blind River Community Centre
After blanking the Beavers on home ice Friday, the Thunderbirds began the back half of the home-and-home by opening the scoring four and a half minutes into the match-up on Rylan Clemons 13th with help from Jacob Kovacs and Tyler Savard.
However, Blind River rebounded by tallying three times in the back half of first frame to take a 3-1 lead into the intermission.
Kyle Quinn drew the hosts level with a man advantage effort at 10:47, which was followed a couple shifts later by Serre’s league-leading 43 goal of the campaign.
The Beavers then tacked on one more deep in the session off the stick of Noah Minns at 19:13.
In the second, the Thunderbirds drew closer midway through thanks to Brock Santa Maria’s fifth.
Sault Ste. Marie then drew level at 16:21 of the stanza as Camden Findlay levelled the proceedings.
Blind River came right back though 39 seconds later to go back in front thanks to another by Serre for his third point of the night.
The Serre show continued as he hit his hat trick before the period came to a close as goal No. 45 of the season for the Beavers’ captain came at 19:11.
Devon Savignac provided one more for the hosts in the back half of the third to wrap-up the evening’s scoring.
Chipping in with three assists on the night was Nathan Balkwill for the winners.
Making his first start since January 11, Jackson Hjelle made 30 saves to earn the triumph for the Beavers while Sam Evola saw 44 shots against in defeat, ending a Soo six-game winning streak.