NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015
Thunderbirds edge Eagles 2-1
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – A Matt Pinder tally 7:05 into the second period turned out to be the game-winner as the Soo Thunderbirds edged the Soo Eagles 2-1 Sunday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League preseason contest held at John Rhodes Community Centre.
The Thunderbirds would get on the board first in this one as Brad Thrower notched the lone goal of the opening stanza beating Eagles starter Jack Hickey with six and a half minutes left in the first.
Pinder then put the T-Birds up by two with his effort in the middle stanza with Mark Tassone and Brett Jeffries picking up assists.
Special teams allowed the Eagles to get one back midway through the game as Sam Rappaport connected on the power play in what turned out to be the final goal of the game.
Shots on net on the night favoured the Thunderbirds 33-16 with Braydon Cunningham picking up the win in relief after playing the second period.
Hickey started for the Eagles and suffered the loss seeing nearly 31 minutes of action and stopping 14 of 16 fired his way.
Jack Heines turned aside all 17 attempts he faced in his time between the pipes.
The focus will now shift to NOJHL regular season play, which begins Friday, Sept. 11 with all 12 member clubs taking to the ice.
