The Soo Thunderbirds found enough offense to tame the Rayside Balfour Sabrecats on Sunday afternoon.
Former Ontario Hockey Leaguer D.J. Jelitto scored three goals and an assist to help the Thunderbirds to an 8-5 win over the Sabrecats in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action in Rayside.
The Thunderbirds improve to 19-6-4-1 and hold a four point lead over the Northern Michigan Black Bears for the lead in the West Division.
The struggling Sabrecats opened the scoring on the power play as Skylar Condratto beat goaltender Casey Mapes before Eric Sargent answered back for the Thunderbirds less than a minute later. Jelitto scored his first of the game before Mario Foucault replied for Rayside to tie the game at 2-2 after one period.
Jason Weigal scored two goals 14 seconds apart early in the second period to give the Thunderbirds a lead they would not relinquish. Ryan MacKay and Sargent scored for the Soo later in the period while Will Callaghan on the power play and Steve Zwarich found the net for the Sabrecats.
Jelitto scored two more times in the third period while Andrew Hawes scored Rayside's third power play goal of the game to cap the scoring.
Alex Butkus recorded three assists for the Thunderbirds while Tom Vernelli added two. Foucault recorded two assists for Rayside.
Rayside's five goals were the most the team has scored since October 9th when they tied the Sudbury Northern Wolves 6-6 and only the third time the team has scored five goals or more all season.
The Sabrecats fall to 2-27-1-1 on the season and have not won a game since a 4-0 shutout of the Manitoulin Wild on October 16th.
Mapes recorded the win in goal for the Thunderbirds despite being pulled in favour of Jarrett Michaels in the second period after stopping only nine of 13 shots.
The Thunderbirds return to action on Saturday as the Abitibi Eskimos visit the Soo for a 7:30 p.m. contest which will be held at the Pee Wee Arena instead of the usual John Rhodes Community Centre.
In other NOJHL action on Sunday, Kyle VanGronigan scored three times and Chris Hardill made 26 saves as the North Bay Skyhawks blanked the Blind River Beavers 8-0.
Eldon Cheechoo and Aaron Assinewei scored twice each as the Manitoulin Wild doubled Northern Michigan 8-4. Sault native Chris Towell replied with a goal for the Black Bears.