Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
In Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, the Soo Thunderbirds took to the ice on Monday, March 27th with a 2 – 0 semi final west division best of seven series lead over Blind River Beavers. The Thunderbirds are coming off opening the series in Blind River in the first two games of the series.
With first shot on net from the left faceoff circle, Thunderbird Jackson Truchan rifles a shot along the ice 29 seconds into the first through Blind River goaltender Gavin Disano to give the Soo a 1 – 0 lead. Dharan Cap and Justin Mauro added the helper on Truchan’s fourth of the postseason. On a powerplay from the right faceoff circle, Truchan fires a shot from the right faceoff circle to be tipped by Soo captain Brock Santa Maria at the 11:16 mark of the middle stanza under Beaver goaltender’s catcher to bring the Thunderbirds’ lead to 2 – 0. Defenseman Ranon Joseph had the other contributor on Santa Maria’s second of the playoffs. With a pass from behind the net from Justin Mauro, Dharan Cap registers his third goal of the postseason at 15:42 under Disano’s blocker to increase the lead to 3 – 0. Truchan drew the second assist on Cap’s powerplay goal.
With 15 seconds remaining in the second and on a powerplay, Michael Gallagher fires a wrist shot from Blind River’s Matthew Green for the Beavers lone goal to send the game into the intermission 3 – 1. Daniel Vasic added the other helper on Gallagher’s first of the playoffs. 69 seconds into the final period, Michael Chaffay sinks his first of the postseason from between the faceoff circles in front of the Beavers net to give the Thunderbirds a 4 – 1 win. Santa Maria registered his second point of the game with an assist on Chaffay’s goal. Blind River goaltender Gavin Disano stopped 28 of 32 shots in the Beavers game three loss while Soo netminder Landon Miller turned away 20 of 21 shots in the Thunderbirds third straight series win.
Game four will be back in Sault Ste Marie at the John Rhodes Centre on Wednesday, March 29th with the Thunderbirds leading the best of seven series 3 – 0 against the Beavers.
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