Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
Coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to the Powassan Voodoos on Friday, October 2nd, the Soo Thunderbirds bounced back in a big way Saturday night, scoring seven unanswered goals to defeat the French River Rapids 9-2 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest in Noelville, Ontario.
The Thunderbirds entered the game looking to regroup after a tightly contested matchup in Powassan, and they wasted little time getting on the scoreboard against the Rapids.
At 7:10 of the opening period, Soo took a 1-0 lead when Drew Christian scored his fourth goal of the season. Christian finished off a play set up by Jaden van de Ven and Landon Hill.
French River answered at 10:53 as Noah Saye scored his second goal of the season, with Caleb Plumb and Tristan Lavoie collecting the assists.
The Rapids then grabbed their first lead of the night at 16:27 when Leif Sigfusson scored his third goal of the season, assisted by Lucas Campanella.
The Thunderbirds responded just 40 seconds later.
At 17:07, Adam Pszeniczny tied the game at 2-2 with his fourth goal of the season. Makks Demidovich and Jackson Mead picked up the assists as the two teams headed to the first intermission tied.
The second period belonged to the Thunderbirds.
At 11:42, Landon Hill put Soo back in front, scoring his fourth goal of the season and collecting his second point of the night. Drew Christian earned his second point of the game with an assist, while Gavin Killoran also assisted.
The Thunderbirds then added a crucial insurance goal late in the period.
With just 52 seconds remaining, Nicholas Carlson scored his fifth goal of the season to give Soo a 4-2 advantage heading into the second intermission. Killoran picked up his second assist of the game, while Sean Gresko was also credited with an assist on the power-play goal.
Soo carried that momentum into the third period and completely took control of the contest.
At 9:43, Vincent Bondy scored his third goal of the season on the power play to make it 5-2. Jackson Mead recorded his second assist of the game, while Killoran picked up his third point of the night.
Just 1:20 later, Madden Glavota scored his first goal of the season, extending the Thunderbirds’ lead to 6-2. Hill recorded the assist, giving him his third point of the game and his second goal of the contest.
The Thunderbirds continued to pour on the offense.
At 15:55, Pszeniczny scored his second goal of the night and fifth of the season to make it 7-2. Mead picked up his third assist of the game, while Killoran recorded his fourth assist of the night.
Soo added two more goals in the final two minutes.
At 18:10, Felix Sapay scored his third goal of the season and second point of the game. Christian picked up his third point of the night with an assist, while Hill recorded his fourth point of the game.
Just 46 seconds later, Frankie Reda capped off the scoring with his second goal of the season. Sapay collected his third point of the night with an assist, while Gresko recorded his second assist of the game.
The Thunderbirds finished the night with a commanding 9-2 victory after scoring seven consecutive goals to close out the game.
Special teams played an important role in the win, with Soo converting multiple power-play opportunities during its offensive outburst. The game also featured more than 50 minutes in combined penalties, making discipline and special teams a significant factor throughout the contest.
Nathan Maguire made 24 saves on 26 shots to earn the victory for the Thunderbirds.
French River used two goaltenders, with Liam McGilp stopping 11 of 16 shots before being replaced by Calvin Gardner, who turned aside 14 of 18 shots.
The Thunderbirds received major offensive contributions throughout their lineup. Hill finished with two goals and two assists for a four-point night, while Killoran recorded four assists. Christian had a goal and two assists, Mead registered three assists, Pszeniczny scored twice and added to his strong start to the season, and Sapay finished with a goal and two points.
The win gives the Thunderbirds a strong response following Friday’s shootout defeat in Powassan and sends the club into the NOJHL Showcase with plenty of momentum.
The Thunderbirds now travel to Sudbury for the 2026 NOJHL Showcase, where they will open showcase play Tuesday, October 6th at 3:45 p.m. against the Powassan Voodoos.
Soo will then return to the ice Wednesday, October 7th at 4:15 p.m. to face the Timmins Rock in their second showcase matchup.
After falling just short against Powassan the previous night, the Thunderbirds responded with a nine-goal offensive performance against French River. Now, they will get another opportunity against the Voodoos as the NOJHL Showcase gets underway in Sudbury.
