Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
Coming off a 7 – 0 shutout win over the visiting Iroquois Falls Storm on Saturday, September 22nd, the fifth place west division (2-3-1) Soo Thunderbirds hit the ice for a Sunday, September 24th afternoon matinee against the east division (3-3) first place Powassan Voodoos in NOJHL action in Sault Ste Marie.
3:43 into the opening period, Grayson Ebrahim picks up a loose puck just under Powassan Miles Gordon’s blocker to slide the first goal of the contest under the Voodoo goaltender to give the Thunderbirds a 1 – 0 lead. Jackson Truchan drew the lone helper on Ebrahim’s fifth of the season. With the Voodoos shorthanded, Tucker Shields catches a cross ice pass in the left faceoff circle to fire the tying goal under Soo netminder Connor Hatfield to even the game 1 – 1 at the 14:50 mark of the first. Cameron Lemcke added the assist on Shields’ third of the season. At 16:10 of the first from the left faceoff circle, Alex Remenda fires a snapshot under Gordon’s catcher to give the Soo a 2 – 1 lead on a power play. Declan Gallivan and Daniel Beaupre notched the contributors on Remenda’s sixth of the season.
Registering his fourth goal of the 2023 season, Thunderbird forward Jacob Smith lifts the Soo’s third over Gordon’s blocker through a scramble to the right of the Voodoos’ net to bring the leads to 3 – 1. Ebrahim drew his second point of Sunday’s game at 6:44 of the second period. After a Powassan two on one with Darby McCarthy and Zach Turner, McCarthy finds the back of Hatfield’s net through a scrum for his second of the season at 12:20 of the second. Mason Rotondo had the other helper on the Voodoos second goal. With just 2:45 remaining in the afternoon matinee in Sault Ste Marie and Voodoo coach Peter Goulet calling a Powassan timeout and a faceoff to come to the right of Thunderbird netminder Connor Hatfield, Tucker Shields fires a slapshot from the centre of the blueline to find the top left corner of Hatfield’s net to even the game 3 – 3 for the visitors. Cameron Lemcke notched the lone contributor on Shields’ tying goal. After an extra five minute over overtime and no one scoring, the Voodoos come out on the winning end of the shootout to send Powsaan home with a 4 – 3 win. Voodoo goaltender Miles Gordon turned away 34 of 37 shots in the win while Soo netminder Connor Hatfield stopped 41 of 44 shots in the Thunderbirds loss.
Visit Freeze Frame Photos by Bob Davies photo gallery of the Voodoos versus the Thunderbirds in NOJHL action.
The Thunderbirds now travel to Blind River for a Friday, September 29th matchup against the Elliot Lake Vikings in a 7:00 p.m start.
