After a 5 – 4 ovetime win in Blind River on Saturday, November 6th over the Blind River Beavers, the Soo Thunderbirds hit the ice for their third game in three days with an afternoon matinee against their cross border rivals, the Soo Eagles on Sunday, November 7th in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League west division contest.
3:29 into the first period, Eagle Alan Evtimov picks up a rebound and lifts the opening goal over asprawling Thunderbird netminder Noah Metivier to give the visitors a 1 – 0 lead. Sam Holy and Jacob Swiatek drew the assists on Evtimov’s powerplay goal. With a drop pass in front of Meitiver’s net from Charlie Salem, Brian Fiddes fires the Eagles second goal over the Thunderbird nemtinder’s catcher to bring the lead to 2 – 0 for the visitors at 17:46 of the first. Swiatek notched the other helper on Fiddes’ goal. From the top of the right faceoff circle and on a Thunderbird powerplay, defenseman fires an unassisted wrist shot over Eagle goaltender Gabe Rosek’s catcher with his eighth of the season to pull the Soo with one at 2:47. On a five minute Eagle powerplay, Marc Lafrance tips a Dylan Bachalo shot behind Metivier at 11:09 to increase the lead to 3 – 1. Jack Mortson added the second contributor on Lafrance’s goal. From the right faceoff circle 12:37 into the middle stanza, Swiatek slides the Eagles fourth under Metivier to give the visitors a 4 – 1 lead. Fiddes and Isaiah Gagerman registered the assists on Swiatek’s goal. 44 seconds after his first of the game, Swiatek picks up his own rebound off of Metivier at the 13:21 mark of the period to give the Eagles a 5 – 1 lead. Fiddes and Trevor Davies setup the Eagles fifth of the game. With 2:22 remaining in the period Fiddes catches a cross ice pass from Lafrance to fire a wrist into the back of the Thunderbirds net. Tanner Balsitis added the other helper on Fiddes’ goal.
On a powerplay and Eagle goaltender Rosek caught of his crease and the Eagle net wide open, Gibson fires his second of the afternoon matinee to register his second unassisted goal for the Thunderbirds 4:45 into the third. From the left faceoff circle at 11:51, Zane Burleigh sinks his first NOJHL goal on a powerplay to close the gap to three for the Thunderbirds. Kaden Dundas and Kelsey Ouellet drew the helpers on Burleigh’s first of the season. Scoring his eighth of the season, Samuel Lake pulls the Thunderbirds within two with catching a cross ice pass from affiliate forward Lincoln Moore to bring the game to 6 – 4 at 16:08. Ouelette had the second contributor on Lake’s goal. From the right faceoff circle and the host on a , Brock Santa Maria fires a cross ice pass to first year forward Cooper Foster for his fifth of season from the left faceoff circle at 19:03 for the Thunderbirds fifth of the period.
With time ticking off the clock and only 1.4 seconds remaining in the game, Dundas picks up a loose puck in the crease to lift the tying goal over Rosek’s catcher to even the game 6 – 6 to send the afternoon matinee into overtime. Oulette and Gibson had the assists on Dundas’ tying goal. With neither team scoring in the five minute three on three overtime, Chase Tallaire and Seth Ferguson find the back of Metivier’s net in the shootout to give the Eagles a 7 – 6 shootout win over Thunderbirds. Gabe Rosek stopped 35 of 41 shots in the win while Noah Metivier turned away 17 of 23 in the Thunderbirds shootout loss.
Visit Bob Davies photo gallery of the Soo Eagles versus Soo Thunderbirds in junior ‘A’ action.
The Blind River Beavers come into Sault Ste Marie on Friday, November 12th to face the Thunderbirds in a 7:30 p.m puck drop at the John Rhodes Centre.
Photo: Bob Davies
