Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

Backed by quality goaltending at both ends of the ice, the Iroquois Falls Storm and Soo Thunderbirds skated to a 2-2 overtime tie in a well-played Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest Saturday, January 17th at John Rhodes Community Centre.

It was the visiting Storm who notched the lone marker in the opening 20 minutes when Rafek Dianov stuffed in a rebound off a Lucas Willoughby attempt from the right wing past Thunderbirds’ netminder Cameron Boville.

On the power play to begin the middle frame, Sault Ste. Marie’s Deven Jones-McDonald tied it 34 seconds in, for his 15th of the season, when he banked one in off the skate of a defender that eluded Iroquois Falls starter Lucas Cardiff-Bilodeau.

Answering right back while shorthanded once more, Willoughby put the visitors ahead again as he steered in a play put to the crease by Alexandre St. Pierre.

Special teams provided another tying tally for the Soo when Rhys Bonvie clicked on a man advantage at 2:51 when his shot got through Cardiff-Bilodeau.

Despite a large difference in terms of shots on goal for the T-Birds, the contest remained tied into the final stanza.

Continuing to compete through a scoreless third period, the clubs headed to extra time to try and find a winner.

In the seven-minute OT the goalkeepers remained unbeatable as time expired to give each team a well deserved point in the draw.

The outcome sees the Thunderbirds record go to 20-12-2-1 while the Storm moved to 10-20-2-2.

The Thunderbirds now hit the road for a three swing in Timmins, Iroquois Falls, and Kirkland Lake over the January 23rd to 25th weekend.

Source: Soo Thunderbirds