Photos: Bob Davies
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – A trio of third period tallies helped the Soo Thunderbirds rebound from a one-goal deficit and pull out a 4-2 victory over the rival Soo Eagles Wednesday night in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up at John Rhodes Community Centre.
It was the hometown Thunderbirds who scored first, connecting late in the opening 20 minutes, as they converted on the power play when Brodie McConnell-Barker sent a crisp cross-ice pass across to Justin Mauro on the right side where he whipped a shot upstairs before Eagles’ netminder Logan Raffaele could get across to keep it out.
Heading to the second stanza in the fast-paced, entertaining affair, the visitors drew level on a five-on-three man advantage that saw Colin Handy crank a blast from the point that was stopped by T-Birds’ goaltender Landon Miller, but Brian Fiddes was right there to stuff in the rebound.
Still up a skater, the Eagles came right back and took the lead as Coby Fox wheeled out from the side boards to the high slot and fired an attempt through a screen off the post and in with two minutes left in the session.
On the man advantage to commence the third, the hosts tied it 21 seconds in as Mauro set-up Wyatt Marlow, who snapped a shot blocker side on Raffaele to knot the affair.
The Thunderbirds kept coming and retook the lead as they countered in transition and eventually saw Anton Petrovsky make a move to his left and raise one into the top left corner.
Late in the contest, the Eagles got their goalie out for an extra attacker, but the hosts secured the decision off a two-on-one that was completed by Dharan Cap with an empty netter.
With the win, the Thunderbirds improved to 15-9-2-1 on the year while the Eagles dropped to 12-9-2-0 overall.
