Photos: Caleigh Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – The Greater Sudbury Cubs erupted for four unanswered goals in the back half of the third period to defeat the Soo Thunderbirds 5-2 Thursday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
With the teams sporting 1-1-1 records against each other so far this season, a fast-paced opening frame went without a tally as the clubs reached the first intermission still in search of the night’s initial marker.
In the second stanza, Sault Ste. Marie broke the deadlock while skating four aside as Deven Jones-McDonald worked his way into the Greater Sudbury zone along the left side before driving to the net and tucking a backhand through the legs of Cubs’ netminder Mateo Beites for his team-leading ninth goal of the campaign.
Pulling even during a man advantage at 11:19, Noah Kohan steered in a pass to the crease by Nolan Newton, while battling in front, in eluding Thunderbirds’ goalkeeper Ryan Hicks.
Answering a couple of shifts later, the Soo retook the lead when Drew Christian swatted in the rebound off a shot from the left point by teammate Grady Holden.
Still 2-1 T-Birds into the third period, Greater Sudbury drew level once more after Eidan Macartney flew down the left wing and fired a sharp feed across to Kohan who guided in a backhand at 12:17 for his second of the night.
The Cubs then went in front just 15 seconds later after Caden Dubreuil snagged a loose puck to the left of Hicks and lifted it in for the eventual game-winner.
A third straight marker saw the hosts seal the comeback when Daks Klinkhammer took a short drop pass from Nate Lazarus and chipped it off Hicks before it fell in with 4:23 to go.
Recently acquired Owen King then capped off the outburst by notching his first with his new team as he converted on a late man advantage to round out the scoring.
Now unbeaten in seven, the Cubs improved to 11-5-1-0 overall while in defeat the Thunderbirds fell to 10-4-1-1.
