Photos: Hanna Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – The goals came early and often Wednesday as the Soo Thunderbirds went on to outscore the Timmins Rock 8-6 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase encounter at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
The Thunderbirds needed just 62 seconds to open things up when Jackson Mead spun down low and fired a crisp cross-ice back pass over to Adam Pszeniczny, who quickly pumped it past Rock netminder Ayden Mullen.
Answering with an equalizer at the four-minute mark, Timmins’ Thomas Jaakkola took a pass up top from Maxx Hamelin in the corner, then proceeded to wire in his first NOJHL goal, that eluded Nathan Maguire in the Sault Ste. Marie net.
Retaking the lead at 8:09, the Soo’s Nicholas Carlson found the range as he finished off a rush in close by teammate Vincent Bondy.
Pulling even once more, Timmins’ Jakob Drobny opened his league tally ledger late into a man advantage opportunity as he took a feed from Ben Climenhaga and quickly cranked it in from the right circle.
Heading to the second stanza, the Rock clicked early when Hamelin opted to shoot on a two-on-one and made no mistake as he whipped a shot past Maguire from the left side in the opening minute.
Continuing to exchange markers, the T-Birds’ Drew Christian knotted the affair once more as he snagged a high feed sent from his own zone and after splitting the defence, went in a lifted his chance over the glove of Mullen and in to give him goals in three straight outings.
Going back and forth, the Soo regained the lead after Gavin Killoran pressured a turnover at the Timmins blueline that allowed Pszeniczny to fly down the right wing and pop the water bottle as his sizzler sailed into the top of the net for his second of the day.
The Rock then clicked on a five-on-three as Drobny picked up his second of the contest when he buried a chance from the slot.
Keeping the goals coming, Evan Katic made it 5-4 Timmins at 15:52 as he corralled a loose puck, then went in with Hamelin and finished off a give-and-go by tucking in a low backhand through the legs of Maguire.
The high-scoring affair continued late in the session when Killoran capitalized via the power play as he wheeled around in a circle before roofing one.
In the third, the offensive barrage continued as Christian took a play over to his left and ripped another upstairs for the 11th goal of the game.
Going up by a pair, the Soo’s Sean Gresko also sent a rising wrister into the upper portion of the net as they took the initial multi-marker cushion of the meeting.
Bondy then added to the onslaught with a late empty netter for the T-Birds before Ashton Beriana wrapped up the result as the Timmins forward generated a turnover and raced in alone on and shorthanded breakaway where he made a couple of crafty dekes prior putting in a backhand in the last minute.
Picking up the Player of the Game awards for each side were Christian and Beriana.
