SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Rebounding from an early deficit, the Soo Thunderbirds stormed back with 11 unanswered goals as they went on to blast the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 12-3 Friday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Kirkland Lake wasted little time in opening the scoring as Trent Nobes stuffed in a wraparound after corralling his own rebound behind the net and beating Sault Ste. Marie starter Lincoln Mellenthin just 58 seconds into the proceedings.
Answering with a tying tally, via the power play at 14:14, the Thunderbirds’ Aiden Atkinson took a feed from the point from Jake McPherson and pumped a one-timer past Gold Miners’ goalkeeper Nolan Nicoll.
Coming right back though, the visitors notched a pair of markers before the intermission to take a 3-1 lead to the dressing room.
After Tyler Corbett clicked for the guests by taking advantage of a turnover, Nicolas Saucier capitalized on another Soo giveaway by converting in close.
Putting the pressure on early in the middle stanza, Colin Chesnut made it 3-2 as he took a Callum McAuley pass and ripped it top shelf from a sharp angle in the left circle.
Breaking it open from there, the Soo banged in six-more markers in just over a 10-minute span to go ahead for good.
The T-Birds Harley Wardell tied it by jamming in a rebound off a James Legler attempt from up high at 5:43.
Just over a minute later, Nolan Nemecek used some crafty stickhandling in close to give the home side the lead.
Pouring it on, Atkinson on a two-on-one; McAuley finishing off a Wardell set-up, before clicking on a power play into the open side; and another man advantage effort through a screen off the stick of Legler made it 8-3 after two.
In the final frame the onslaught continued with two more from Wardell, sandwiched around one by Griffen Albert, to extend the lopsided lead.
McPherson then finished off the romp with his initial NOJHL tally with a sharp wrister from the slot.
The victory snaps a four-game drought for the Thunderbirds while improving to 5-4-1-0.
Nicoll and Kael Moberg both saw time between the pipes for the Gold Miners in defeat as they remain winless on the campaign, falling to 0-7-0-2 overall.
