Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

On Thursday, March 23rd in Blind River, Ontario, the second place (42-11-3-2) Blind River Beavers hosted the third place (36-15-3-3) Soo Thunderbirds in game one of the best of seven west division semi – final.

3:01 into the opening period, Caleb Minns catches a cross ice pass from Gavin Rocha to lift the Beavers opening goal over Thunderbird netminder Landon Miller’s blocker to give Blind River a 1 – 0 lead. Jesse Dupuis added the other helper on Minn’s goal. At 10:48 of the period from the left faceoff circle, Soo U18 Greyhound Callum McAuley fires a snapshot on the Beavers net to be tipped by Alex Remenda to even the game 1 – 1 for the Thunderbirds. Ethan Novello notched the second contributor on Remenda’s goal. Soo forward Jackson Truchan backhands the go-ahead goal from the front of Blind River’s net to give the Thunderbirds a 2 – 1 lead at 5:50. Dharan Cap and Tyler Boudreau drew the assists on Truchan’s goal. With the seventh ranked powerplay during the 2022 – 2023 regular season, defenseman Kaden Dundas fires a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle over Beaver goaltender Gavin Dinsano’s catcher to bring the visitors lead to 3 – 1 at 11:21. Truchan and Justin Mauro set up Dundas’ powerplay goal. From the left faceoff circle, Dharan Cap fires a bouncing pass to Truchan all alone to the left of Disano’s net at 14:37 to give the Thunderbirds a 4 – 1 lead. Giving the Soo a 5 – 1 lead 11 seconds later, Dharan Cap wraps the Thunderbirds fifth goal of the contest around the right post of Blind River netminder Charlie Burns at 14:48. Mauro and James Kearney added the helpers on Cap’s goal.

With 78 seconds remaining the first from the right boards, Gavin Rocha fires a pass to Caleb Minns in front of the Soo’s net to slide the Beavers second goal of the period under a sprawling Landon Miller to close the gap to three. Dupuis drew the other assist on Minns’ second of the contest. Gavin Rocha picks up a Thunderbird turnover in the Soo’s end to setup Jesse Dupuis for Blind River’s third to pull the Beavers within two at 6:41 of the second period. Minns registered his third point of the game with a helper on Dupuis’ goal. At 15:38 of the third from in front of Charlie Burns’ net, the regular season league leading rookie scorer Jackson Truchan lifts an unassisted goal past the Beaver goaltender to give the visitors a 1 – 0 series lead in the Soo’s 6- 3 win over Blind River. Blind River’s Gavin DiSano and Charlie Burns combined to stop 34 of 40 shots in the Beavers’ 6 – 3 game one loss while Thunderbird netminder Landon Miller turned away 18 of 21 shots in the Soo’s 6 – 3 win.

Game two of the best of seven series will return to Blind River on Saturday, March 25th for a 7:00 p.m puck drop with the Thunderbirds leading the west division semi-final 1-0.