Photos: Justin Cairns
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – A Noah Aboflan power play blast, three minutes into overtime, gave the Greater Sudbury Cubs a dramatic 4-3 victory over the Soo Eagles Tuesday night in Game 4 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal at Pullar Stadium.
This sees Greater Sudbury take the best-of-seven set in four straight games and sends them to their third straight Copeland Cup – McNamara Trophy NOJHL championship series.
Supplying the initial tally for the first time in the series, the Cubs’ Mateo Signoretti shovelled a backhand to the crease that Eagles’ netminder Dalton Hoornstra could not control, which allowed Grant Booth to snap in his second of the playoffs at 13:01.
Collecting the second assist on the marker was Mason Walker, who now has points in each of his club’s eight postseason contests.
Greater Sudbury then came right back to go up 2-0, thanks to Owen King, who took a pass in the slot from Daks Klinkhammer and wired it past Hoornstra.
Answering that moments later, Sault Ste. Marie’s Bradyn Walsh chipped a play ahead off the side boards, then raced down the right wing before putting a play in front that Brendan Boberg steered by Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Matthew Vahramian.
Heading to the second stanza, the visitors went back up by a pair at 6:14 as Caden Dubreuil sent an attempt to the target from the left side that got a piece of Klinkhammer and eluded Hoornstra.
That also resulted in a goaltending change for the home side as Jace Knoerle entered in relief.
Pulling back to within one prior to the intermission, Soo defenceman C.J. Zaharis sent a shot from the right point that hit a body and got through the pads of Vahramian before trickling in.
In the final frame, the Eagles tied it at the 13-minute mark when Gabriel Clark lofted one from distance through a trio of defenders that found its way into the top left corner of the net to help send it to extra time.
On a man advantage early in OT, Greater Sudbury won it when Klinkhammer teed up Aboflan in the left circle that he blasted by Knoerle to win it and send his side to the league championship series.
That will be against either the Timmins Rock or the Hearst Lumberjacks.
The Rock are currently up 3-0 on the Lumberjacks, with Game 4 going in Timmins Wednesday at 7 p.m. and online via FLOHockey.tv.
NOJHL semifinal
No. 1 Greater Sudbury Cubs vs. No. 7 Soo Eagles
Game 1: Cubs 5, Eagles 1
Game 2: Cubs 9, Eagles 6
Game 3: Cubs 6, Eagles 3
Game 4: Cubs 4, Eagles 3 (OT)
Greater Sudbury wins best-of-seven series 4-0
