Heading into game three of the 2021 COVID Cup between the Soo Thunderbirds and Blind River Beavers, the Thunderbirds headed east to Blind River on Saturday, March 20th leading the seven game series 2 – 0 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action.

Only 22 seconds into the Saturday’s contest, Ethan Pegg earns credit for the Beavers first goal of the game after a deflection off of Soo blueline Dylan Parsons to give the Beavers a 1 – 0 lead. Nicholas Jameus drew the lone helper on Pegg’s third of the season. From the far side of the right faceoff circle and the Soo shorthanded, Noah Boman fires the tying goal under Blind River goaltender Gavin Disano’s catcher to even the game 1 – 1 for the Thunderbirds at 8:28 of the first period. Connor Toms and Cameron Dutkiewicz had the assists on Boman’s fourth of the season. With a scramble in front of Thunderbird netminder Alex Bugeja and on a Blind River powerplay, Noah Minns finds the back of the Soo’s net for the Beavers’ go-ahead goal 13:34 into the first. Spencer Kennedy and Thomas Michaud notched the contributors on Minns’ seventh of the season. 32 seconds into the middle stanza, Ty Zachary fires his fourth of the season to tie the game 2 – 2 for the visitors with Kurtis Rogers and Parker Morgan registered the helpers.

At 7:30 of the second and with the Beavers second powerplay goal of the game, Ethan Pegg scores his second of the contest to give the Beavers a 3 – 2 lead with Jameus and Blake McNally drawing the assists on Pegg’s goal. 38 seconds past the halfway mark of the period, Andrew Malek has the lone contributor on Kurtis Rogers second of the game to pull the Thunderbirds even 3 – 3. Boman fires his second of Saturday’s game to give the Soo a 4 – 3 lead at 14:41 of the second with Parsons adding the assist on Boman’s go-ahead goal. Tying the game 4 – 4 was Blind River forward Devin Mauro at 11:08 of the third to send the game into a shootout. Jacob Kelly and Justin Mauro had the contributors on Mauro’s sixth of the season. Thunderbird captain Avery Rebek had the lone goal of the shootout while Beavers Jacob Kelly and Devin Mauro scored for Blind River to give the hosts their first win of the 2021 COVID Cup. Soo netminder Alex Bugeja stopped 42 of 46 shots in the shootout loss while Beaver goaltender Gavin Disano turned away 48 of 52 shots in the win in Blind River.

Game four of the 2021 COVID Cup series will hit the ice Sunday, March 21st in a 4:00 p.m puck drop in Blind River.