SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – A two-goal effort from Jack Mortson helped send the Soo Eagles on their way to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Greater Sudbury Cubs Friday night in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair at Pullar Stadium.
The Eagles took flight 3:09 into the proceedings when Michael Szlag picked up his first of the season as he snared the puck in the neutral zone and wheeled into the Cubs’ zone and fired a shot that looked to get partially deflected by the stick of a Greater Sudbury defender which caused it to knuckle enough to flip past the blocker of goalkeeper Noah Beaulne.
Adding another in the session, Mortson converted for Sault Ste. Marie at 18:38 when he got a second crack at a rebound laying in the crease off a shot from the left point by blueliner Colin Handy.
The Cubs did get one back five and a half minutes into the middle frame thanks to Cole Crowder roofing one past Soo starter Logan Raffaele with a sharp wrist shot from the left circle as he finished off a Christopher Innes pass.
Getting some insurance midway through the third, Mortson bagged another to help secure the win for the Eagles as his work while on a two-man advantage saw him get just enough of a shot off a feed from Chase Tallaire to get it over the outstretched pad of Beaulne.
Raffaele and the Soo defenders then did the rest in getting the decision and improving to 3-1-0-0 early in the season.
In defeat, the Cubs slipped to 4-2-1-0 overall.