NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014
Sudbury stuns Soo with furious comeback to win 6-5 in 2OT
SUDBURY – Trailing by three goals entering the third period the Sudbury Nickel Barons stormed back to tie it in regulation and then won it extra time as they completed an improbable rally to defeat the Soo Thunderbirds 6-5 in double overtime in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Wednesday evening at McClelland Arena.
The come from behind victory by Sudbury snapped Sault Ste. Marie’s season-high 12-game winning streak in dramatic fashion.
It was a strong start for the visitors as they tallied three times in the opening 20 minutes to take control early.
Brandon Grandinetti put the Thunderbirds in flight 3:46 into the contest as he notched his first goal of the season.
Sault Ste. Marie then went up a pair midway through the frame as Joey Miller connected on the power play.
Special teams also played a role in the T-Birds third of the stanza as Nicolas Tassone struck shorthanded at 18:11.
The Nickel Barons got themselves on the board near the five-minute mark of the second when Danny Lepage beat Soo starter Brian Kment for his sixth of the campaign.
A flurry of activity late in the second session saw three more goals scored, including two by the Thunderbirds via Matt Caruso, while down a man, and Tassone’s second of the evening sandwiched around one by Brad Sutton to make it a 5-2 game after 40 minutes.
Sudbury then drew closer with markers 40 seconds apart midway through the third to make it interesting.
After Christopher Rossi had one on the power play at 9:34, Dylan Callaghan brought the Nickel Barons to within one on the next shift.
Continuing their rally the home side forced OT with 3:17 remaining in regulation when team captain Jacob Bonin buried the equalizer to level it at 5-5.
With the two sides going scoreless after the first five-minute OT, the Nickel Barons completed the comeback 3:12 into the second extra session as Sutton stuffed in the game-winner from in close to shock the Soo as the two teams played three skaters aside.
Matt Neault had a pair of assists for the Barons as did Caleb Boman for the T-Birds.
Shots on goal favoured the Thunderbirds 41-37 with Kevin Labelle picking up the win and Kment the OT loss.
With the triumph Sudbury improves to 12-4-0-2 on the season while with the point, Sault Ste. Marie’s record slips to 14-2-0-1, but with that point they take sole possession of top spot in the overall standings, one clear of idle Kirkland Lake.
NOJHL action resumes Thursday as the Cochrane Crunch host the Elliot Lake Wildcats in a 7:30 p.m. start at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
