Photos: Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – Seeing their first home action of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs, the Greater Sudbury Cubs took advantage and skated away with a 4-2 win over the Soo Eagles Monday in Game 3 of their West Division semifinal held at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
With the victory, the Cubs cut the Eagles lead in the best-of-seven match-up to 2-1, heading into Game 4 Tuesday night back in Sudbury at 7 p.m.
Striking first, Greater Sudbury collected the evening’s initial tally as Christopher Innes chipped a play up along the boards that sent the Cubs on a two-on-one where Kyler Campbell sent a perfect feed across to a waiting Cole Crowder, who promptly whipped in a quick shot past a diving Gabe Rosek in the Sault Ste. Marie net.
A second Sudbury goal came 16:15 into the middle session compliments of Cameron Shanks, as he corralled a Pierson Sobush shot and made a quick deke to his right and calmly tucked one past Rosek at the top of the crease.
They then saw Shanks set-up a power play effort prior to the second intermission as his cross-ice feed let Nicholas Toffoli wire one in from the top of the left circle to put the hosts up by three after two.
In the third, the Eagles got themselves on the board at 8:36 as Jacob Swiatek skated up the left wing and proceeded to rifle one over the glove on the Cubs’ Joel Rainville.
The Michigan Soo then got another, via a shorthanded effort from Alex Freund, who chipped one in from the right of Rainville, off a Colby Fox shot with 2:13 to go.
Getting Rosek out for an extra skater in the final moments, the Eagles looked to tie it and force overtime, however Sobush sealed the home ice victory for Greater Sudbury as he stole the puck off a Soo defender and lifted it into the empty net with a backhand to round out the scoring.
The outcome saw Rainville collect the win while Rosek suffered the loss, which also guarantees a Game 5 Wednesday at Pullar Stadium in the Soo.
NOJHL West Division semifinal
Soo Eagles vs. Greater Sudbury Cubs
Soo leads best-of-seven series 2-1
Game 1: Eagles 5 Cubs 4 (OT)
Game 2: Eagles 4 Cubs 3
Game 3: Cubs 4 Eagles 2
Game 4: Tuesday, April 12 @ Greater Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 5: Wednesday, April 13 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 6*: Friday, April 15 @ Greater Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 7*: Saturday, April 16 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
*-if necessary
