Photos: Leith Dunick / tbnewswatch.com
OLIVER-PAIPOONGE, Ont. – The Soo Eagles saw Briand Fiddes score three times to help pace them to a 5-3 victory over the Kam River Fighting Walleye (SIJHL) in an inter-Canadian Junior Hockey League exhibition match-up at NorWest Arena, near Thunder Bay.
A first period power play helped Sault Ste. Marie open the scoring 12 minutes into the contest when Chase Tallaire connected with help from Kenny Belanger Jr., and Isaiah Gagerman.
Kam River pumped 14 shots on Eagles’ goaltender Reid Ramsay in the first period, but the rookie stood tall in helping his club take the 1-0 edge into the intermission.
The Soo used another man advantage to extend their lead early in the second stanza when Fiddes found the back of the net on a marker that saw Jack Paweski and Zachary Briskey credited with assists.
Getting that back, the Walleye’s Ethan Lang tipped one past Ramsay with 37 minutes left to play.
It was more from the home side moments later as Trenton Morriseau tied it for another goal in rapid succession, to conclude the scoring in the session, that saw SIJHL club hold an overall cushion in shots on goal at 25-17.
Knotted at 2-2 entering the third, the Eagles’ special teams made another statement early as Jack Mortson darted in alone on a shorthanded breakaway and made no mistake to put the Soo back on top.
Breaking it open from there, Fiddes tallied twice before the midway point of the period to register his hat trick and put his team in control.
Kam River’s Euan Morrison did get one back with five minutes to play off a faceoff, but Ramsay shut the door from there to earn the victory.
Walleye netminder Andrew Kreis suffered the defeat.
The Eagles, who won Friday’s opener 3-2, will wrap-up the three-game set with the Walleye Sunday, with a 1 p.m. start, back at NorWest Arena.
