IROQUOIS FALLS, Ont. – Breaking open a one-goal game with three unanswered third period tallies, the Soo Thunderbirds went on to soar over the Iroquois Falls Storm 6-2 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Saturday at Jus Jordan Arena.
A quick start for the Storm saw Felix Tremblay connect 26 seconds in when he batted in a loose puck past Thunderbirds’ starter Nathan Maguire off a rush generated by teammate Arthur Seamus-McCown.
Countering on the night’s initial man advantage opportunity, Sault Ste. Marie drew level just past the five-minute mark of the first period thanks to Frankie Reda’s initial league tally as he worked a give-and-go with Andrew Warne then motored down the slot before wiring one over the blocker of Iroquois Falls netminder Keenan Connely.
More from the T-Birds midway through the session saw Sean Gresko set-up in the left circle from a down-low feed and snap in his team-leading fifth of the young campaign.
The Soo then went up 3-1 early in the middle stanza thanks to Adam Pszeniczny finishing off a pass from below the goal line off the stick of Jackson Mead.
Countering quickly, Simon Lemieux brought the Storm back to within one at 5:36 as he took a lengthy stretch pass from Jason Cyr that sent him in alone where he put one upstairs over the blocker of Maguire.
Drew Christian extended the Soo lead 4:13 into the final frame as he fired a quick shot from the left circle that flew past Connely.
Christian then came right back and scored once more by pumping in a pass from between the circles after being teed up from in deep by Pszeniczny.
The Thunderbirds’ Jaden van de Ven then capped off the road result less than a minute later as he finished off a nice no look back pass courtesy of Reda, in what proved to be the evening’s final goal.
