File photo: THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS jpg, TD, apsmc
SUDBURY, Ont. – Getting up early, then withstanding a push, the Timmins Rock struck twice in the late going to pull out a 4-2 triumph over the Soo Thunderbirds in a hard-fought Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase affair Tuesday at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Featuring two of the top three clubs in the NOJHL standings, Timmins pressed the pace from the onset and got on the board 14:12 into the contest.
There a long up-ice pass sent the Rock in on a two-on-one where Jaedyn Lyons delivered a feed across to Travis Poan, who quickly sent it high past a diving Noah Metiver in the Sault Ste. Marie net.
They then added another on the power play, a minute and a half later, as Kaeden McArthur jumped in from up high and ripped a short-side sizzler for his fourth of the campaign.
Second period action saw Sault Ste. Marie strike shorthanded with Jonathan Sonedecker racing down the right wing and wiring an attempt by Timmins’ goalkeeper Dryden Riley.
Pulling even while up a skater with under five minutes remaining in regulation, the Thunderbirds’ James Legler powered his way to the high slot and unleashed a blast to the net that was redirected in by Cooper Labelle.
Retaking the lead just after a man advantage they were on had expired, the Rock’s Alexis Tremblay lifted the eventual game-winner over the pad of Metivier from in close with 2:20 to go, after corralling and depositing a loose puck off a point shot that had been stopped.
They then wrapped up the result with an empty netter from McArthur in the final minute.
With the outcome, Timmins improves to 6-1-0-0 overall while the Soo drops to 4-2-1-0.
