Photo Bob Davies

After opening the 2022 NOJHL Championship series with three straight losses and heading into game four of the series down 3 – 0 to the Hearst Lumberjacks, the Soo Thunderbirds hit the ice at Claude LaRose Arena in Hearst, Ontario for a Friday, May 6th puck drop looking for their first win of the championship best of seven series.

15 seconds into the middle stanza from the right blueline along the ice, Andrew Gibson finds the back of Lumberjack goaltender Matteo Gennaro’s net thorugh traffic to give the Soo a 1 – 0 lead. Kyle Trottier and Michael Chaffay drew the assists on Gibson’s second of the postseason. In front of Thunderbird netminder Noah Metivier, Ryan Glazer picks up a Dylan Ford rebound to lift the tying goal over a sprawling Metivier to even the game 1 – 1. Riley Klugerman has the lone helper on Galzer’s tying goal at 5:57. At 7:14 of the period, Mason Chitaroni fires a snapshot on a Thunderbird powerplay from the centre of the blueline to find the back of Gennaro’s net through traffic to give the Soo a 2 – 1 lead. Kaden Dundas and Colby Arbour added the contributors on Chitaroni’s first of the 2022 playoffs. 85 seconds into the final period, Dundas fires a wrist shot through the Lumberjacks zone to be deflected off of Thunderbird captain Brock Santa Maria to bring the lead to 3 – 1. Arbour had the other assist on Santa Maria’s second of the postseason.

With 3:23 remaining in game four and up 3 – 1, Dharan Cap picks up a rebound off of Gennaro to backhand his second of the playoffs behind the Hearst goaltender to give the Soo a 4 – 1 lead. Chaffay and Dundas contributed on Cap’s goal. With 2.7 seconds left in the game and down 4 – 1, Dylan Ford skates across the front of Metivier’s crease to slide the Lumberjacks second under the Thunderbird netminder. Brayden Palfi set up Ford’s powerplay goal. Hearst goaltender Matteo Gennaro turned away 16 of 20 shots while at the other end of Claude LaRose Arena, Metivier stopped 34 of 36 in the Soo’s 4 – 2 game four win.

The series will return to Sault Ste Marie, Ontario for a Sunday, May 8th matchup for game five with the Lumberjacks leading the series 3 – 1 against the Thunderbirds. Game time will be 7:00 p.m at the John Rhodes Centre. Listen live on Northern Sports Radio.

Listen to game four on-demand.