SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – The Soo Thunderbirds built an early lead and would never trail as they went on to edge the rival Soo Eagles 4-3 Saturday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League cross-border affair at John Rhodes Community Centre.
The Thunderbirds gained the early edge by scoring twice midway through the first period.
Defenceman Gianmarco Mastroianni started it off for the home side at 9:41 when he joined a rush up ice and eventually knocked in a backhand that got through Eagles’ netminder Jett Loechler.
Right after that, Deven Jones-McDonald supplied an impressive individual effort by weaving through multiple defenders, before driving to the crease and tucking in his 24th of the campaign.
The visitors got themselves on the board early in the middle session thanks to Jacob Peterson, who connected moments after Loechler denied Wyatt Groth on a breakaway.
On the tally, Peterson swatted in his 14th after the puck found its way to him in close on T-Birds’ goalkeeper Nathan Maguire.
Regaining a multi-marker cushion half way through the proceedings, Owen Murphy got one via the power play when he rang a wrist shot off the post and in while situated between the circles.
Inching closer again, Ethan Hoff bagged in a marker for the Eagles while they were up a skater as he jammed in a loose puck laying near the goal line on a sprawled Maguire.
Collecting the eventual game-winner nearly seven minutes into the third, the Thunderbirds’ Drew Christian knocked the leftovers after Adam Pszeniczny rang a shot off the post during a two-on-one with Gavin Killoran.
Still battling, the Eagles’ Gabriel Clark connected with 8:38 remaining in regulation as the defenceman pinched in from the point and buried a nice back pass from behind the net courtesy of Lucas Caulfield.
Maguire however shut the door from there to collect his 14th win of the season, while improving to a solid 14-1-1-1 in his rookie year.
The 31-15-3-2 T-Birds will close out their regular season Sunday afternoon at home against Blind River, prior to preparing to meet the Timmins Rock in the first round of the NOJHL playoffs.
Meanwhile, the 23-26-2-1 Eagles get set to tangle with the Powassan Voodoos in another league quarter-final match-up.
