SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Chase Tallaire tallied twice, while Logan Raffaele handled every shot fired his way to post his first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League shutout, as part of a 6-0 victory by the Soo Eagles over the Elliot Lake Red Wings Friday evening at Pullar Stadium.
The hometown Eagles used a solid forecheck from Jack Mortson to force a turnover at the Red Wings’ blueline where he sent it over to Tallaire, who went in alone on Elliot Lake starter Cameron Smith and ripped it upstairs to make it 1-0, five minutes in.
Not done there, Sault Ste. Marie’s Zachary Briskey struck on the power play late in the period by firing a quick drive from the left circle.
Adding to their edge in the middle session, the Eagles’ Isaiah Gagerman kicked up a Teig Driesson set-up off his skate and neatly picked the right corner to make it 3-0.
Heading to the third, the hosts extended their cushion when Kenny Belanger Jr., lifted in a shorthanded marker over the shoulder of Smith at 8:54.
Continuing to click offensively, Tallaire tallied again as he banked in a rebound off a right point blast from Colin Handy.
Brian Fiddes of the Soo then finished off the one-sided result off a scrummed draw that saw him move in and snap in his second of the campaign with under two minutes to play.
