Photos: Bob Davies
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – A Jacob Smith man advantage effort with under four minutes remaining in regulation proved to be the game-winner as the Soo Thunderbirds pulled out a narrow 4-3 victory over the French River Rapids in a tightly-contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League tilt Saturday at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Visiting French River began the scoring eight minutes into the match-up after pushing a play ahead in the neutral zone that allowed Zachary Bartzis to split the defence and go in where he deked to his right and lifted a backhand over the pad of Sault Ste. Marie netminder Noah Metivier, for his initial NOJHL tally.
Tying it late in the first, Thunderbirds’ captain Gage Evans snapped a shot from the left point that sailed in through a maze for his initial league marker.
In the second stanza, the Soo took the lead at 3:10 when Smith chipped a play ahead and went in alone on a breakaway where he made a quick head fake and sizzled a shot past Rapids’ goalkeeper Carter Vicente.
Answering with an equalizer while up a skater, the visitors drew level with Michael Christopoulos stuffing in a rebound while battling in front.
Third period play saw Callum McAuley supply a nice individual effort for the Thunderbirds and he raced down the ice past a defender, then went in a buried his chance at 2:28.
Going back and forth, French River tied it five minutes later when Alexandre Dubuc redirected a Bryson Villeneuve attempt from the right point.
The eventual decider came with the Soo up a skater as defenceman Jake McPherson drove hard down the right wall, then worked his way to the net and fired a shot that was stopped, but Smith swooped in and slammed in the rebound from left side.
Pressuring the Rapids the rest of the way, the Thunderbirds went on to close out the home ice triumph.
