Photo: Freeze Frame Photos
On Saturday, September 23rd, the west division (1-3-1) Soo Thunderbirds took to the ice at the John Rhodes in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario to host the first place (3-1) east division Iroquois Falls Storm in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest.
22 seconds into the first, veteran forward Alex Remenda picks up loose puck in the Storm’s crease to slide the opening goal through a scrum under Iroquois Falls’ goaltender Alexis Mongrain to give the Thunderbirds a 1 – 0 lead. Kolby Fellinger and Declan Gallivan drew the assists on Remenda’s fifth of the season. On a powerplay from the top of the left faceoff circle, Gallivan fires a snapshot into the top right hand corner of Mongrain’s net to give the Soo a 2 – 0 lead. Jackson Truchan and Grayson Ebrahim had the contributors on Gallivan’s second of the 2023 season at 5:48 of the first. Truchan picks a loose puck in the Storm crease to lift the Thunderbirds third over Mongrain’s blocker to bring the hosts lead to 3 – 0. Jacob Smith and Sam Lake notched the helpers on Truchan’s third of the game at 15:56 of the opening period. With 34.2 remaining in the period Thunderbird rookie forward Smith sent the Soo into the first intermission up 4 – 0 with his second of the season with Candon O’Neill and Trucahn drawing the assists on Smith’s powerplay marker.
With the Soo on a powerplay 47 seconds into the middle stanza, Ebrahim tips a Candon O’Neill snapshot from the left blueline to increase the Thunderbirds a 5 – 0 lead. Smith added the other helper on Ebrahim’s third of the season. At 8:56 of the second with Mongrain tight up against his right post, rookie forward Smith sneaks his second of the game under the Storm goaltender’s right arm to give the Thunderbirds a 6 – 0 lead. 30 seconds into the third, Ebrahim slides his second of the contest under Iroquois Falls’ goaltender Connor Dunham – Fox to give the Thunderbirds a 7 – 0 lead, Truchan and O’Neill registered the helpers on Ebrahim’s fourth of the season. Storm goaltenders Alexis Mongrain and Connor Dunham – Fox combined to stop 46 of 53 shots in the 7-0 loss while newly acquired Connor Hatfield turned away 15 shots in the 7-0 shutout win for the Soo.
Visit Freeze Frame Photos by Bob Davies photo gallery of the Soo Thunderbirds versus the Iroquois Falls Storm.
The Thunderbirds next opponent will be the east division Powassan Voodoos on Sunday, September 24th with a puck drop of 4:00 p.m at the John Rhodes in Sault Ste Marie.
