An eight-game winning streak came to a halt for the Soo Thunderbirds on Friday night.
Playing the front-end of a home-and-home series with the Soo (Mich.) Eagles at Pullar Stadium, the Thunderbirds fell behind 3-0 and couldn’t battle back, dropping a 3-2 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League decision to their cross-border rivals.
Thanks to goals by Sault, Ont. products Raf Praysner and Caleb Wood in the opening period and a goal by Ryan Dacks in the opening minute of the second period, the Eagles would hold off a late charge to beat the Thunderbirds.
Praysner and Dacks had a goal and an assist each for the Eagles while Riley Jensen assisted on a pair of goals.
Eagles goaltender Shane Brancato made 29 saves.
Nolan Ford and Lucas Theriault scored for the Thunderbirds.
Goaltender Colin Ahern made 32 saves for the Thunderbirds, who fall to 22-6-0-0 with the loss.
The Eagles improve to 13-16-0-1.
The two teams meet again on Saturday night as the home-and-home series wraps up by shifting to the John Rhodes Community Centre on the north side of the International Bride. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.