The Soo Thunderbirds continued a busy stretch of Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action with a strong road performance on Sunday, January 25th, blanking the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 3–0 on January 25th at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.

The matinee victory capped off a demanding three-game swing for the Thunderbirds, who rebounded nicely after a narrow one-goal loss to the Timmins Rock on January 23rd and a bounce-back win over the Iroquois Falls Storm on January 24th.

Soo wasted little time getting on the board in the opening frame. At the 8:00 mark of the first period, Landon Hill opened the scoring with his 11th goal of the season, finishing a setup from Brayden Gosselin and Gavin Killoran to give the Thunderbirds a 1–0 lead. The remainder of the period saw both teams trade chances, but strong goaltending kept the score intact.

The second period was a defensive battle, with no goals scored as both netminders stood tall. The Thunderbirds limited quality chances against while continuing to apply pressure in the offensive zone, but Glen McInnes and the Gold Miners’ defense held firm.

Soo broke the game open in the third period, striking first while shorthanded. At 7:36, Gavin Killoran converted his 15th goal of the season, capitalizing on a breakaway opportunity and finishing a feed from Owen Murphy to double the lead. The Thunderbirds sealed the win late in the frame when Deven Jones-McDonald notched a powerplay goal at 17:45, his 17th of the season, with assists from Aiden Atkinson and Declan Gallivan.

Between the pipes, Cam Boville was flawless, turning aside all 33 shots he faced to earn his second shutout of the season. At the other end, Glen McInnes made 29 saves on 32 shots in a solid effort for Kirkland Lake.

With the road win secured, the Thunderbirds now return home to Sault Ste. Marie to prepare for a highly anticipated cross-border matchup against their rivals, the Soo Eagles. The two teams will meet on January 30th at Pullar Stadium, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.