NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
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Buoyed by a three-goal, third-period outburst, the Soo Thunderbirds went on to defeat the Blind River Beavers 4-2 Tuesday in Game 4 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League quarterfinal at John Rhodes Community Centre.
With the outcome, the best-of-seven match-up is now tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 Thursday in Blind River at 7 p.m.
A quick start saw the Thunderbirds take an early lead when Callum McAuley cranked a blast from the right side that was deemed to have gone in on Beavers’ netminder Bronx Bodnar 2:30 into the proceedings.
Notching the equalizer nine minutes later, Blind River affiliate player Danny MacDonald, who was making his NOJHL playoff debut, neatly tipped in an A.J. Saadeh wrister from the point out of mid-air to elude Sault Ste. Marie’s Noah Metivier.
Still tied at 1-1 into the middle frame, the Beavers caught the Soo on a line change while skating at four-on-four that allowed them to counter and send Owen King roaring up ice as he blew into the T-Birds’ zone and sent a sizzler by Metivier at 13:46.
Action in the third saw the Thunderbirds apply some intense pressure midway through and were eventually rewarded with a tying tally when defenceman Matteo Moretta snapped a shot from the top of the left circle that sailed through bodies before hitting the top corner on a screened Bodnar.
Some crafty stick work then led to the eventual game-winner when a spinning Deven Jones-McDonald send a crisp feed in front to Legler who promptly buried it with 4:03 to play.
More hustle from Jones-McDonald set-up some insurance as chased down a loose puck and his back pass in deep found an open James Elliot who hammered a one-timer by Bodnar.
A late-game fracas caused some extra curricular activity with multiple penalties doled out by the officials, but in the end the Soo prevailed to knot the series.
NOJHL quarter-final
Soo Thunderbirds vs. Blind River Beavers
Best-of-seven series tied 2-2
Game 1: Beavers 1 Thunderbirds 0
Game 2: Thunderbirds 5 Beavers 4
Game 3: Beavers 4 Thunderbirds 3
Game 4: Thunderbirds 4 Beavers 2
Game 5: Thursday, March 27 @ Blind River 7 p.m. (Blind River Community Centre)
Game 6: Saturday, March 29 @ Sault Ste. Marie 7 p.m. (John Rhodes Community Centre)
Game 7*: Tuesday, April 1 @ Blind River 7 p.m. (Blind River Community Centre)
*-if necessary
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