Soo slams Elliot Lake to take commanding series lead

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Monday, March 30, 2015

Soo slams Elliot Lake to take commanding series lead

SAULT STE. MARIE – Anthony Miller tallied twice while Brian Kment posted his third shutout of the playoffs as the Soo Thunderbirds slammed the Elliot Lake Wildcats 5-0 Monday evening in Game 3 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division final at Essar Centre.

With the win, Sault Ste. Marie now leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and will have a chance to close it out Wednesday in Elliot Lake at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Arena.

After scoring 13 times in 44 regular season contests, Matt Caruso matched his tally total from the 2014-15 campaign by burying his 13th of the playoffs at 13:23 during a man advantage opportunity.

The Thunderbirds then came back and added another only 25 seconds later as Miller finished off the work of Nicolas Tassone and Nicolas Sicoly as the home side took a two-goal lead into the middle stanza.

Special teams allowed the home side to go up 3-0 early in the second as Miller added another as he connected on the power play at 2:39 as he took a Tassone pass from the corner and snapped one past A.J. Smith in the Elliot Lake net from the slot.

Moments after a Wildcats player left the penalty box, Brandon Grandinetti put the T-Birds up by four on a nice move where he chipped the puck past an Elliot Lake defender and tucked it underneath the outstretched pad of Smith at 11:09.

Things continued in a positive way for Sault Ste. Marie in the third as Matthew Mitchell cashed in from the side of the net to put the home side up by five at 3:17 in what would be final marker of the night.

Thunderbirds blueliner David Radke had a pair of assists on the night as did forward Tassone.

Kment faced 17 shots in posting the shutout while Smith saw 44 attempts fired his way in defeat.

NOJHL West Division final
No. 1 Soo Thunderbirds vs. No. 4 Elliot Lake Wildcats
Thunderbirds lead best-of-seven series 3-0
Game 1: Sault Ste. Marie 5 Elliot Lake 2
Game 2: Soo 5 Elliot Lake 2
Game 3: Soo 5 Elliot Lake 0
Game 4: Wednesday, April 1 @ Elliot Lake 7:30 p.m. (Centennial Arena)
Game 5*: Saturday, April 4 @ Sault Ste. Marie 7:30 p.m. (Essar Centre)
Game 6*: Monday, April 6 @ Elliot Lake 7:30 p.m. (Centennial Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 8 @ Sault Ste. Marie 7:30 p.m. (Essar Centre)
*-if necessary