Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
At the John Rhodes Community Centre on Tuesday night, the Soo Thunderbirds broke a 1-1 series deadlock with a 3-2 victory over the Timmins Rock in Game Three of their 2026 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarter-final matchup.
After splitting the first two games in Timmins—where the Thunderbirds claimed Game One before the Rock responded in Game Two—the series shifted to Sault Ste. Marie with plenty on the line. Game Three delivered a tightly contested battle, with special teams playing a key role throughout.
The Rock opened the scoring late in the first period on the powerplay. At 15:31, Braedyn Cyr netted his second goal of the playoffs, finishing a setup from Thomas Beard and Maxx Hamelin to give Timmins a 1-0 lead. The Thunderbirds answered just minutes later, also on the man advantage. At 18:11, Aiden Atkinson scored his first of the playoffs, with assists going to James Legler and Declan Gallivan, sending the teams into the intermission tied 1-1.
Soo carried that momentum into the second period and quickly took control. At 2:36, Owen Murphy scored his first of the postseason, finishing a play from Gianmarco Mastroianni and Landon Hill to give the Thunderbirds their first lead of the night at 2-1. The home side extended their advantage midway through the frame on another powerplay opportunity. At 8:53, Gavin Killoran buried his first playoff goal, with Adam Pszeniczny and Brayden Gosselin picking up the assists, making it 3-1 for the Thunderbirds.
Timmins pushed back in the third period, cutting the deficit to one. At 7:35, Ryan Armitage scored his first of the playoffs, finishing a play from Maxx Hamelin and Kaeden McArthur to bring the Rock within 3-2. Despite continued pressure late in the game, the Thunderbirds held firm defensively to preserve the win.
Between the pipes, Nathan Maguire delivered a strong performance for Soo, turning aside 29 of 31 shots to earn the Game Three victory. At the other end, Frédéric Cousineau made 26 saves on 29 shots in the loss for Timmins.
Check out Freeze Frame Photos by Bob Davies photo gallery of the Timmins Rock versus Soo Thunderbirds in NOJHL quarter-final game three action.
With the win, the Thunderbirds take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The two teams will remain in Sault Ste. Marie for Game Four, scheduled for Wednesday, March 25th with a 7:00 p.m. puck drop, as the Thunderbirds look to build on their momentum and the Rock aim to even the series once again.
