Thunderbirds rebound with 2-1 win over rival Eagles

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – A night after being humbled across the river by the rival Soo Eagles, the Soo Thunderbirds rebounded with a solid defensive effort Saturday to earn a 2-1 victory and pick-up a split of their weekend home-and-home match-up in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at John Rhodes Community Centre.

The Eagles used the power play to get on the board first as Gianni Vialli picked up his fifth of the season 15 and a half minutes into the contest.

Nick Techel assisted on the marker to help him extend a point streak to eight in the process.

However the Thunderbirds tied it before the period was complete on Alex Acosta’s 12th of the season.

Down a man in the latter stages of the second stanza, it was the Thunderbirds’ Mark Tassone who struck shorthanded to register his 15th goal to put his side up 2-1 after 40 minutes.

The home side then tightened up defensively from there to keep the high-scoring Eagles off the scoresheet the rest of the way to secure the win.

Thunderbirds’ netminder Brandon Gordon finished with 23 saves to record the decision while Carter McPhail faced 36 shots in defeat for the Eagles.

Photos courtesy of  James Egan’s Sports Photography