Photo Freeze Frame Photos (Bob Davies)

Looking to extend their eight game winning streak, the first place (10 – 1) Blind River Beavers took to the ice to host the sixth place (4 – 6 – 0 – 1) Soo Thunderbirds on Tuesday, October 11th in Blind River, Ontario in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League west division contest. The Beavers came into the Tuesday matchup with 20 points while the Thunderbirds headed into their road game with only nine points in eleven games.

Scoring his fifth goal of the season, Joshua Thompson catches a pass from behind Soo Landon Miller’s net from Michael Gallagher to give the Beavers a 1 – 0 goal beneath Miller’s blocker at 14:04 of the opening period. Matthew Green drew the other helper on Thompson’s goal. With the Thunderbirds on a power play, Dharan Cap tips the tying goal on a Brodie McConell – Baker wrist shot from the left blueline to pull the Soo even 1 – 1 at 17:16 to send the visitors into the first intermission tied 1 – 1. Michael Chaffay had the second assist on Cap’s sixth of the 2022 – 2023 season. After a faceoff to the left of the Beavers’ net, Jackson Truchan picks up his own rebound off Gavin Disano to fire his second of the season through the Blind River goaltender’s five hole at 3:50 of the third to give the Thunderbirds a 2 – 1 lead. Youseff Chaouachi notched the lone contributor on Truchan’s goal.

Firing his first goal of the season under Disano after picking up his own, Wyatt Marlow sinks the Soo’s third of the contest 12:59 into the period unassisted to bring the lead to 3 – 1. Veteran Thunderbird forward Ethan Novello skates up the left side of the Beaver zone to deke the left defenceman to lift the Soo’s fourth over Disano catcher to give the Soo their fifth win of the season. Allendale, Michigan’s Ryan Blackburn added the assist on Novello’s second of the season with 3:35 remaining in Tuesday’s regular season matchup. Thunderbird rookie netminder Landon Miller earned his second win of the season in the Soo’s 4 – 1 win over the Beavers in Blind River.

Coach Kyle Brick told Saultsports that “the Thunderbirds brought it tonight, give them all the credit. We weren’t good enough. Short memory, on to Saturday!”

The Beavers next opponents will be the Hearst Lumberjacks on Saturday, October 15th in the Blind River with a 7:00 p.m start while the Thunderbirds host the Timmins Rock in Sault Ste Marie on Friday, October 14th at the John Rhodes Centre in a 7:00 p.m puck drop.