Thorkilson Scores Twice as U18 Greyhounds Defeat Cubs to Advance to 2026 GNU18HL Championship

Posted On: March 14, 2026
Posted By: Saultsports
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The Soo U18 Greyhounds continued their strong run at the 2026 GNU18HL Playoff Tournament in New Liskeard, earning a 4–2 semifinal victory over the host New Liskeard Cubs on Saturday afternoon. After defeating the Cubs 2–1 in round robin action on March 13th, the Greyhounds entered the semifinal matchup with a 3–1 record and once again came through with a clutch performance to secure their spot in the championship game.

The Greyhounds struck first midway through the opening period. At 5:33, Myka Venneri opened the scoring with his first goal of the playoffs, giving Soo a 1–0 lead. The goal came unassisted as Venneri capitalized on an opportunity to beat Cubs goaltender Morgan Hyndman.

New Liskeard responded in the second period. At 6:38, Lukas Daviau tied the game at 1–1 with his first goal of the playoffs, scoring on an unassisted play.

The Cubs then took their first lead of the game on the power play. At 11:21, Emerik Bray scored his first goal of the playoffs, putting New Liskeard ahead 2–1. Nate Gervais and Kyle Cloutier recorded the assists on the power-play marker.

The Greyhounds answered just over two minutes later, also on the power play. At 13:39, Hunter Thorkilson tied the game at 2–2 with his second goal of the playoffs, finishing a play set up by Andrew Aikens and Finlay Carlson.

Early in the third period, the Greyhounds regained the lead. At 4:43, Thorkilson struck again on the power play, scoring his third goal of the playoffs to make it 3–2 Soo. Nathan Dupuis picked up the assist on the go-ahead goal.

The Greyhounds added some insurance later in the period while killing a penalty. At 11:57, Liam Clark scored a shorthanded goal, his first of the playoffs, extending the Soo lead to 4–2. The goal came unassisted, sealing the victory for the Greyhounds.

In goal, Sebastien Brassard turned in a strong performance to earn the semifinal win for the Greyhounds, while Morgan Hyndman took the loss for the Cubs.

With the victory, the Soo U18 Greyhounds advance to the GNU18HL Playoff Tournament Championship Game, set for Sunday, March 15th at 11:00 a.m. in New Liskeard. The Greyhounds will face the North Bay U18 Trappers, with the winner earning a berth in the 2026 U18AAA Central Region Championship, hosted by the Markham Waxers from March 30 to April 5, 2026 at the Angus Glen Community Centre in Markham, Ontario. The stakes are high as both teams battle for the tournament title and a chance to advance to the regional championship stage.