The Soo U15 Greyhounds delivered a dominant offensive performance on home ice over the October 23–25 weekend, sweeping the Timmins Rock in three Northern Ontario AAA Hockey League matchups in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
The Greyhounds scored 19 goals across the three games, earning victories of 6-2, 5-3 and 8-2. Ryder Demidovich and Blake Neufeld each recorded a hat trick, while several Soo teammates contributed multi-goal performances as the Greyhounds controlled much of the weekend series.
Game One: Greyhounds Pull Away for 6-2 Victory
The Greyhounds opened the weekend with a 6-2 victory over Timmins on Saturday, October 24, as Ryder Demidovich recorded a hat trick to lead the Soo attack.
Demidovich opened the scoring at 5:30 of the first period, finishing a play set up by Corbin Watson and Blake Neufeld. Timmins responded at 7:07 when Vincent Lamarche tied the game 1-1, with Blake Lauzon and Maverick Drouin collecting the assists.
The Greyhounds regained the lead at 14:50 when Demidovich scored his second goal of the game. Maximus Maki and Watson assisted on the go-ahead marker, giving Soo a 2-1 advantage heading into the intermission.
After a scoreless second period, the Greyhounds broke the game open with four goals in the third.
Tyler Mortimore extended the Soo lead to 3-1 at 4:28, assisted by Noah Jones. Maki followed at 6:56 with a goal set up by Watson and Aiden Hurley to make it 4-1.
Blake Greco added another at 11:07, with Cade Lane earning the assist, before Demidovich completed his hat trick at 13:40. Neufeld assisted on the third goal, capping a three-goal performance for the Soo forward.
Timmins added a late goal from Lauzon at 18:15, but the Greyhounds secured the 6-2 win.
Daniel Tolin started in goal for Soo, while Kalob Fox was between the pipes for Timmins.
Game Two: Soo Holds Off Late Timmins Push
The Greyhounds continued their winning ways in the afternoon matchup on Saturday, October 24, earning a 5-3 victory over the Rock.
Soo wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as Garson Robertson opened the scoring just 27 seconds into the first period. Aiden Hurley picked up the assist.
Aiden McLean made it 2-0 at 3:58 with an unassisted goal before Timmins responded at 7:36. Lauzon scored for the Rock, with Bennett Duclos earning the assist.
Maki restored the Greyhounds’ two-goal cushion at 10:28, scoring unassisted. Robertson then added his second goal of the game at 11:19, assisted by Neufeld, giving Soo a 4-1 lead after the opening period.
Neither team scored in the second period, but Timmins began to mount a comeback in the third.
Maverick Drouin scored at 2:54 to cut the deficit to 4-2, with Adam Skinner assisting. The Rock moved within one goal at 18:02 when Jackson Smart found the net, assisted by Lauzon.
With Timmins applying late pressure, Remi Tombari provided some insurance for the Greyhounds at 19:17, scoring an unassisted goal to seal the 5-3 victory.
Robertson’s two-goal performance helped lead the Soo offence, while McLean, Maki and Tombari also found the back of the net.
Joey Spina started in goal for the Greyhounds, while Brady Roy handled the goaltending duties for Timmins.
Game Three: Neufeld’s Hat Trick Powers 8-2 Rout
The Greyhounds wrapped up the weekend Sunday morning, October 25, with their most convincing performance of the series, defeating Timmins 8-2.
Neufeld led the way with a first-period hat trick as the Greyhounds established a commanding four-goal advantage.
Neufeld opened the scoring at 7:39, assisted by Demidovich and Maki. McLean doubled the lead at 10:11 with an unassisted goal.
Neufeld struck again at 11:26, finishing a play set up by Hurley and Demidovich, before completing his hat trick at 14:59. Hurley assisted on the goal, giving Soo a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes.
The Greyhounds continued their offensive pressure early in the second period. Demidovich scored at 3:24, assisted by Maki, before Lane added another at 4:43 with Hurley collecting the assist.
Timmins got on the scoreboard at 13:08 when Lamarche scored, assisted by Jackson Smart, but the Rock still faced a 6-1 deficit heading into the final period.
McLean scored his second goal of the game at 8:37 of the third period to push the Soo lead to 7-1. Greco added the Greyhounds’ eighth goal at 17:40, assisted by Lane and Logen Dahl.
Timmins responded once more at 19:55 when Joel Fountain scored, with Duclos and Skinner picking up the assists. The late marker brought the final score to 8-2 in favour of the Greyhounds.
Tolin returned to the crease for Soo, while Roy started in goal for Timmins.
Greyhounds Head to Kitchener for Next Challenge
The three-game sweep highlighted the Greyhounds’ offensive depth, with Demidovich and Neufeld each recording a hat trick during the weekend. Robertson and McLean also delivered two-goal performances, while Watson, Hurley and Maki contributed to the Soo attack through goals and assists.
Across the three matchups, the Greyhounds outscored the Rock 19-7, combining early scoring bursts with strong third-period finishes to complete a successful weekend on home ice.
The Soo U15 Greyhounds will now turn their attention to tournament play as they prepare for the 2026 Kitchener Blueline AAA Tournament, scheduled for November 6–8 in Kitchener, Ontario.
Following their impressive sweep of Timmins, the Greyhounds will look to carry that offensive momentum into their next competition.
