Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
After opening the west division best of seven final with a 5 – 2 win in Sudbury over the Sudbury Cubs on Thursday, April 6th, the Soo Thunderbirds took to the ice on Friday, April 7th for game two of the series against the Cubs.
At 14:29 of the first and the Thunderbirds on a powerplay with Sudbury goaltender Moah Metivier out of his crease between the faceoff circles, Youssef Chaouachi picks up a Kaden Dundas rebound to sink the Soo’s opening goal into a Cubs’ empty net to give the visitors a 1 – 0 lead. Justin Mauro drew the other assist on Chaouchi’s third of the postseason. With a Thunderbird turnover in the neutral zone, Samuel Assinewai picks up a loose puck to skate into the right faceoff circle to fire a wrist shot over Soo netminder Landon Miller’s blocker to even the game 1 – 1 for the Cubs at the 16:17 mark of the first, Cole Crowder and Cameron Shanks added the helpers on Assinewai’s third of the playoffs. With the visitors on a five on three powerplay 3:33 into the second, Kaden Dundas catches a cross blueline pass from defense partner Brodie McConnell-Baker to fire a slapshot past Cub goaltender Metivier to give the Soo a 2 – 1 lead. Chaouchi had the other contributor on Dundas’ third of the postseason.
At 12:04 of the second, affiliate player Declan Gallivan redirects a Daniel Beaupre shot on Noah Metivier to lift the Thunderbird rookie’s redirect over Metivier’s blocker to bring the Soo’s lead to 3 – 1. Samuel Lake added the second assist on Gallivan’s first NOJHL postseason career goal. Assinewai sinks his second of the contest at 3:42 of the third only 26 seconds into Sudbury’s powerplay with a wrist shot past Soo netminder Landon Miller from between the faceoff circle to pull the Cubs within one. Christopher Innes had the lone assist on Assinewai’s powerplay goal.
Daniel Beaupre catches a cross ice pass from Kaden Dundas at the left boards just outside the left faceoff circle to fires a snapshot past Metivier to give the Thunderbirds a 4 – 2 lead at 16:36. Chaouchi registered his second point of the game with the assist on Beaupre’s first of the playoffs. With 10 seconds remaining in game two, Beaupre sends a pass to Drahan Cap between the faceoff circles with Metivier on the Cubs’ bench for an extra attacker to give the Soo an 2 – 0 series lead with the 5 – 2 win over Sudbury. Thunderbird netminder Landon Miller stopped 20 of 22 shots in the 5 – 2 win in Sudbury while Sault Ste Marie native goaltender Noah Metivier turned away 22 of 26 shots in the Cubs’ 0-0 win/loss.
The Thunderbirds now return to Sault Ste Marie with a 2 – 0 west division final series lead for games three and four on Monday, April 10th and Tuesday, April 11th with game times of 7:00 p.m.
