Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
After winning game one and two of the west division final best of seven series in Sudbury, Ontario over the Sudbury Cubs, the Soo Thunderbirds returned to Sault Ste Marie for game three of the series on Monday, April 10th looking to extend their series lead to three when they took to the ice against the Cubs at the John Rhodes Centre.
From between the faceoff circles, Sudbury’s Billy Biedermann rifles a snapshot over Thunderbird netminder Landon Miller’s catcher to give the Cubs a 1 – 0 lead at 4:06 of the first. Pierson Sobush and Oliver Smith drew the assists on Biedermann’s first of the postseason. With a delayed penalty call on the Cubs, Jackson Truchan fires a shot on Sudbury goaltender Noah Metivier to be tipped by Justin Mauro into the back of the visitors net at the 6:38 mark of the first period to even the game 1 – 1 for the Soo. Dharan Cap added the other helper on Mauro’s third of the playoffs. At 11:12 of the second, Daniel Beaupre bats his second of the postseason out of mid air from a Youseff Chaouchi shot out in front of the Cubs crease over Metivier’s right shoulder to bring the Soo’s lead to 2 – 1. With a turnover at the Cubs blueline, Samuel Assinewai fires pass across the neutral zone to Oliver Smith to break in on Landon Miller to sinks a wrist shot on the Thunderbird netminder to pull Sudbury even 2 – 2 at 16:57 of the middle stanza. Kyloe Ellis notched the other contributor on Smith’s fifth of the playoffs.
Matthew Mazzotta fires a shot on Landon Miller to be tipped by Biedermann 5:41 into the third to give the Cubs a 3 – 2 lead. Sobush added the assist on Bidermann’s second of the contest. 36 seconds before the midway mark of the period, Kyloe Ellis catches a cross ice pass from Sobush to find the back of the Soo’s net over Miller’s catcher to increase the Cubs lead to 4 – 2. Biedermann drew the second helper on Ellis’ second of the playoffs. Christopher Innes sends a pass from the behind the net of Landon Miller to the right of the Thunderbirds’ net to Sobush to give Sudbury a 5 – 2 game three win. Cameron Shanks had the other contributor on Sobush’s seconds of the postseason at 13:58. Cub goaltender Noah Metivier stopped 27 of 29 shots in the win while Thunderbird netminder Landon Miller turned away 35 of 40 shots in the Soo’s 5 – 2 loss in Sault Ste Marie.
Soo Thunderbird coach Cole Jarrett told Saultsports that “we got out worked tonight by a hungrier team. We like our game plan so tomorrow is about coming out and executing it and that starts with everyone willing to work for a full 60 or however long it takes.”
Game four will take place on Tuesday, April 11th in Sault Ste Marie at the John Rhodes Centre in a 7:00 p.m puck drop.
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