SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Increasing their goal output in all three periods, the Soo Thunderbirds went on to soar past the Soo Eagles 9-3 Friday night in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at John Rhodes Community Centre.
It was the Thunderbirds who scored first as they broke out on an odd man rush that led to Jayden Arnold knocking in a backhand off a Wyatt Groth chance, moments before, for his fifth of the season in eluding Eagles’ goalkeeper Dalton Hoornstra, just over seven minutes in.
On a man advantage late in the frame, the home side went up by pair thanks to Aiden Atkinson reaching the 20-goal plateau after taking a pass from Declan Gallivan on the right side and quickly pumping it in.
The assist for Gallivan gives him points in five straight contests.
Moving to the middle frame, the T-Birds’ Vincent Bondy finished off the leftovers off an Atkinson chance a minute and a half in.
Getting one back, Jacob Peterson put the Eagles on the board as he swatted in a bouncing puck that found its way to him off a Gabriel Clark shot from the right point.
The visitors then pulled to within one a minute and a half later thanks to Micah Seery lofting one in from distance that got by a screened Cameron Boville in the Thunderbirds net.
Answering that, Deven Jones-McDonald put the hosts back up by two as he blasted in a one-timer after being set-up down low by James Legler.
A fifth on the night for the Thunderbirds saw Gavin Killoran chip a play ahead that allowed Drew Christian to race in on a breakaway where despite being eventually obstructed, put one through Hoornstra at 14:22.
Taking a four-goal cushion early in the third, Adam Pszeniczny benefitted from a bounce off a stick laying on the ice that allowed Christian to make a pass that was promptly pumped in.
They then saw a spinning Groth send a play in front that clipped off the skate of an Eagles’ defenceman, right to Arnold, who then snapped in his second of the evening.
Adding to the onslaught, Legler moved in alone with pace down the right wing and wired one into the bottom left corner, before Rhys Bonvie tipped in a Jones-McDonald shot during a power play.
The Eagles did round out the scoring when Nolan Nemecek connected from close range just before the final buzzer sounded to wrap things up.
With the victory, the Thunderbirds improve to 28-14-2-2 overall and in the loss, the Eagles fall to 21-23-2-1.
