Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

After falling 4 – 3 in Sault Ste Marie on Tuesday, March 26th to the Sudbury Cubs in game four of the west division semi – final best of seven series that is tied 2 – 2, the Soo Thunderbirds hit the road for game five on Thursday, March 28th in Sudbury looking to return to Sault Ste Marie with a 3 – 2 series lead in the west division semi final series. Both teams have one at home and one on the road heading into game five.

At 7:30 of the opening period, Hudson Chitaroni skated around defenseman Cole Power to skate right to left across the front of the Soo crease to lift the Cubs first goal of the contest over Thunderbird netminder Kolton Bourret’s left pad to give Sudbury a 1 – 0 lead. Ben Lacroix drew the lone assist on Chitaroni’s second of the postseason. Sudbury’s Ryan Rubic sank his first career NOJHL postseason goal at 3:48 of the second period to slide the Cubs second goal under Bourret’s left pad to the left of the Soo’s net. Josh Kavanaugh and Cameron Walker notched the contributors on Rubic’s goal. From between the faceoff circles all alone in front of the Thunderbirds net, Nolan Newton rifles a wrist shot past Bourret to find the back of the Thunderbirds net to bring the lead to 3 – 0 at 9:48 of the second. Walker and Mason Chitaroni added the contributors on Newton’s third of the 2024 playoffs. Giving the Cubs a game five win with Sudbury’s fourth of the game at 7:18 third, Ben Harris fires a snapshot from the top of the right faceoff circle with a bouncing puck over Bourret’s catcher to give Sudbury a 4 – 0 shutout win unassisted. Sudbury goaltender Noah Metivier earned the shutout with stopping 14 of 14 shots while Thunderbird netminder Kolton Bourret turned away 13 of 17 shots in the loss.

Game six will take place in Sault Ste Marie on Saturday, March 30th with the Cubs leading the west division semi-final 3 – 2. Game time will be 7:00 p.m at the John Rhodes Centre.