PHOTOS: Petrah Joehl – Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – With his second goal of the game, coming from Kaden Dundas, just before time expired, the Soo Thunderbirds rallied late to stun the Powassan Voodoos 5-4 in Day 1 competition Tuesday at the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
A crazy bounce off the glass along the side boards on a dump-in by Sault Ste. Marie’s Dundas saw a wild deflection come right out in front and past a surprised Miles Gordon in the Powassan net, 11 and a half minutes into the match-up.
Getting that back, the Voodoos tied it at 13:01 thanks to Zach Turner’s first NOJHL tally as he banked one off the pad of Thunderbirds’ starter Connor Hatfield while battling along the left side of the crease.
The Soo power play then went to work deep in the frame as Grayson Ebrahim converted after having a couple of cracks at it before jamming the puck under Gordon.
Heading to the middle stanza, it remained without a goal until the final moments of the session when Turner made an impressive reverse back pass from behind the net to a waiting Darby McCarthy who promptly whipped it by Hatfield at 19:48.
In the third period, Powassan scored just 17 seconds in after controlling a draw and seeing McCarthy moving from right to left, before snapping a shot that got through the T-Birds netminder.
Doubling their lead two minutes later as a lengthy pass up ice sent Reyth Smith in on a partial break where he beat Hatfield blocker side with a sharp wrist shot.
Getting one back, while on a man advantage, with 11 minutes to play, Jackson Truchan went in alone on Gordon and neatly tucked in a backhand.
The Soo then drew level by converting on the power play once more, when a Kolby Fellinger attempt from up top hit a stick in close, and dropped to a waiting Alex Remenda, who finished off his seventh of the season at 16:59.
Then with overtime apparently waiting to be played, the Thunderbirds’ Dundas provided a late game-winner as he fired a shot from the right side boards that sailed past Gordon to pullout the late come from behind win two and a half seconds to play.
With the outcome, the T-Birds moved to 4-3-2-1, while the stunning defeat saw the Voodoos fall to 5-2-0-1.
Day 2 play at the Showcase sees the Soo meeting the Hearst Lumberjacks Wednesday at 1 p.m. and Powassan going up against Greater Sudbury in a 6:45 p.m. start.
