Photos: Justin Cairns
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Soo Eagles broke open a tie game with a trio of third period tallies as part of an eventual 5-3 triumph over the Blind River Beavers in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter Friday at Pullar Stadium.
The hometown Eagles began the scoring 6:45 into the matchup when Samuel Gold jumped up between two defenders and wired a shot over the glove of Beavers’ netminder Justin Sullivan.
Remaining 1-0 Sault Ste. Marie into the middle stanza, the Eagles went up by a pair during a power play as Lucas Caulfield found the range at 8:19 by collecting the leftovers off a couple of in-close chances.
Blind River got one back moments later compliments of Magnus Deamond’s first NOJHL goal as he finished off a feed from Caleb Walker.
Tying it up off a nice individual rush, Beavers’ defenceman Matthis Lafond motored up-ice and after cutting in on a defender fired in the equalizer from between the circles past the Soo’s Jace Knoerle.
Breaking the deadlock while up two skaters 7:54 into the final frame, the Eagles’ Logan Stawizynski stuffed in the rebound of an Alex Povorozniouk shot from the slot.
They then saw Ethan Hoff add to the lead just past the midway mark of the session as he was spotted driving down the lane by Caulfield and ripped a close-range sizzler past a screened Sullivan.
Lafond brought the guests back to within one with a couple of minutes left as he jumped in from the point and buried one from the left circle.
With their goaltender out late for an extra attacker, Blind River’s bid for a comeback fell short as Anden Marceau iced it with an empty netter from the neutral zone at 19:19 to round out the scoring.
The outcomes raises the Eagles’ record to 13-19-1-1 and with the loss, the Beavers dropped to 9-20-0-4.
