NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
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Bouncing back from a two-goal deficit in the third period, the Blind River Beavers scored four times in the final 12 minutes of regulation to rally past the Soo Thunderbirds 5-3 Sunday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee at the Blind River Community Centre.
Action in the opening 20 minutes featured 10 shots apiece, but went without a tally, as the clubs went to their respective dressing rooms for the first intermission still knotted at 0-0.
In the second stanza, Sault Ste. Marie broke the goose egg four and a half minutes in when James Legler corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone, then skated into Blind River territory where his attempt to the target was denied, but Callum McAuley was right there to swat in the rebound on goaltender Connor Dunham-Fox.
Adding another midway through the match-up, the Thunderbirds’ Jonathan Sonedecker got the last touch during a frenzied battle in the crease that featured a swarm of skaters from both sides.
The Beavers got on the board early in the third as Owen King collected his team-best 19th tally by knocking in a rebound, off a Jack Kruiderink attempt, past the Soo’s Lincoln Mellenthin.
Answering that to restore their multi-marker cushion, the T-Birds’ Legler deflected a Cam Freeman point shot out of mid-air at 6:16.
Pulling back to within one, Blind River’s Aaron Dukeshire snagged a loose puck and cruised into the slot during a four-on-three and wired it home.
The hosts then tied it at 15:27, on King’s 20th, as he wheeled into the Soo end and while using a defender as a screen wired a shot over the glove on Mellenthin.
Adding the eventual game-winner seconds later, a backhand attempt to the target clipped off Ryder Hill in close and went in with 4:22 to go.
Gibbs then finished off the comeback with a late empty netter to cap-off the scoring.
With the result, the Beavers raised their record to 17-9-1-1 and in defeat, the Thunderbirds dipped to 12-13-1-1.
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