The Soo U18 Jr. Greyhounds opened their 2025–2026 GNU18HL campaign on the road in North Bay with a two-game set against the U18 Trappers over the September 20–21 weekend. Saturday’s contest delivered plenty of offensive action, but the Greyhounds came up just short, falling in overtime at Memorial Gardens.
The Greyhounds struck early when Espen Escasa buried the season’s first goal just 1:24 into the opening period, with Jacob Vincent picking up the lone assist. North Bay quickly responded, however, as Cedar Montreuil, Aydin Beharie, and Liam Starcevic all found the back of the net to put the Trappers up 3–1 by the late stages of the first.
In the second frame, the Greyhounds clawed back. Nico Bossio cut the deficit with a goal at 1:56, assisted by Anthony Spironello, but the Trappers answered with markers from Jayson Synnott and Caleb Moyer to extend their lead to 5–2. Refusing to back down, the Hounds stormed back with two quick goals—Makks Demidovich and Frankie Reda (on the power play)—pulling the Soo within one heading into the third.
Momentum carried over as Nathan Dupuis tied the game 5-5 midway through the final period, assisted by Vincent and Escasa. Regulation solved nothing, sending the season opener into extra time.
At 7:25 of overtime, North Bay’s Scott Szczygiel played hero, finishing a setup from Starcevic and Karter Buchmann to seal the Trappers’ 6-5 victory.
Goaltending duties were split for North Bay between Carson Ruddy and Logan Coates, while Sebastien Brassard manned the crease for the Greyhounds.
The two teams will met again Sunday afternoon in the second half of the back-to-back, as the Soo looks to bounce back and notch their first win of the young season.
On Sunday afternoon at the Memorial Gardens in North Bay the Greyhounds took to the ice looking to rebound off the overtime loss just over twelve hours to the Trappers.
The Soo U18 Jr. Greyhounds mounted a third-period comeback but couldn’t complete the rally, falling 6–5 to the North Bay U18 Trappers in GNU18HL action.
The Greyhounds opened the scoring at 8:12 of the first when Finlay Carlson dropped a pass in front to Nico Bossio, who slid the puck through the five-hole of Trappers goaltender Logan Coates. Finlay Escasa added the second assist on Bossio’s second of the season.
The Soo doubled their lead 2:44 into the second period on the power play when Dreyon Boissoneau buried a rebound past Coates. Jacob Vincent and Frankie Reda earned the helpers on Boissoneau’s first of the year.
North Bay responded quickly. Francis Popkie converted a wrap-around at 3:38 to cut the lead in half, and just over two minutes later, Scott Szczygiel tied the game with his second of the season. Popkie picked up the lone assist. At 9:36, with Soo netminder Gavin Zuccato stretched across the crease, Liam Starcevic capitalized to give the Trappers their first lead. Michele Culbert and Karter Buchmann drew the assists.
The Trappers kept pressing and extended their advantage to 5–2 at 17:08 when Philippe Lafontaine lifted a power-play goal over Zuccato’s glove, set up by Starcevic and Kobe Gravelle.
The Greyhounds battled back in the third. On a two-man advantage at 5:45, Jacob Vincent scored his first of the season, assisted by Boissoneau and Nathan Dupuis, cutting the deficit to 5–3. Minutes later, Espen Escasa fired a snapshot from the top of the right circle on the power play, pulling the Soo within one at 9:04. Reda had the assist.
North Bay regained control late when Popkie netted his second of the game at 17:14, with Szczygiel and William Fournier collecting helpers. The Greyhounds struck once more at 18:31 as Hunter Thorkilson broke in alone and slipped a shot through Coates’ pads for his first of the season, assisted by Jackson Thorton. But the clock ran out on the Soo’s comeback bid, sealing a 6–5 win for the Trappers.
“These two games were extremely competitive. The players played hard and they are still finding out what our team identity will be. Playing an excellent team like North Bay the first two games is a good opportunity to see how we will compete and where we need to improve,” said Greyhound coach Jeremy Stevenson.
Even though we didn’t get the outcome we were looking for, it was still a positive weekend.
Next up, the Greyhounds return home to host the Kapuskasing Flyers on Friday, September 25th (6:00 p.m. NCC) and Saturday, September 26th (9:00 a.m.) at the John Rhodes Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. The Trappers, meanwhile, will host the Sudbury U18 Wolves on Saturday, September 26th at 7:30 p.m.
