Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
At the John Rhodes Community Centre in Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday, March 25th, the Soo Thunderbirds looked to extend their 2-1 series lead in their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final matchup, but the Timmins Rock battled back to earn a dramatic 3-2 double-overtime victory, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
After a fast-paced but scoreless opening period, both teams showed strong defensive structure and solid goaltending, setting the stage for a tightly contested battle.
The Rock broke the deadlock in the second period. At 4:37, Nolan Masson scored his first goal of the postseason with an unassisted effort, giving Timmins a 1-0 lead heading into the third period.
The Thunderbirds responded early in the final frame. Just 2:13 in, Aiden Atkinson netted his second of the playoffs, finishing a play from James Legler and Gianmarco Mastroianni to tie the game 1-1. However, the Rock answered almost immediately. Just 20 seconds later at 2:33, Victor Hourtouat restored the Timmins lead with his first of the postseason, assisted by Maxfeld Shin, making it 2-1.
Soo continued to push and found the equalizer midway through the period on the powerplay. At 14:42, Deven Jones-McDonald scored his third of the playoffs, with Owen Murphy and Declan Gallivan picking up the assists, sending the game to overtime tied at 2-2.
The first overtime solved nothing, as both goaltenders stood tall under heavy pressure. The Thunderbirds and Rock traded chances, but neither side could find the breakthrough.
In the second overtime, Timmins finally ended it. At 5:24, Edan Etheridge scored his first goal of the postseason, finishing a play from Evan Katic to give the Rock the 3-2 win and even the series.
Both goaltenders were outstanding in a marathon game. Nathan Maguire made 49 saves on 52 shots for the Thunderbirds in the tough-luck loss, while Frédéric Cousineau was stellar for Timmins, turning aside 53 of 55 shots to secure the victory.
Check out Freeze Frame Photos by Bob Davies photo gallery of the Timmins Rock versus Soo Thunderbirds in NOJHL quarter-final game four action.
With the series now tied 2-2, the matchup shifts back to Timmins for a pivotal Game Five. The Thunderbirds and Rock will meet on Friday, March 27th at the McIntyre Arena, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m. as both teams look to take control of the series.
