Photos: Bob Davies
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Cole Delarosbil scored three times to collect his first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League hat trick Wednesday night as the Soo Thunderbirds skated to their ninth consecutive win, a 6-2 decision over the Blind River Beavers, at John Rhodes Community Centre.
Blind River’s James Ingram began the night’s proceedings five and a half minutes in as he neatly redirected a Nolan Connolly shot from the point.
Countering with the equalizer, Kelsey Ouellet scored for a third time in four games as he finished off a nice behind the back feed from Kaden Dundas at 11:10.
Sault Ste. Marie then took the lead a couple of shifts later with Delarosbil converting with a wicked wrister from the left circle that flew over the shoulder of Blind River netminder Jeremi Delaquis.
Moments into a man advantage, Meguire Naughton banged in his 11th while right on top of Thunderbirds’ goalkeeper Noah Zeppa to knot it at 2-2.
Answering right back though, the Soo snagged a loose puck and it resulted in Cooper Foster connecting from the left of the net.
They then tallied again on the next shift to make it 4-2 as Brock Santa Maria put one upstairs from in tight, giving him 11 on the campaign.
With the Thunderbirds still up by a pair in the third, they picked up an insurance marker at 7:08 as Samuel Lake put a nice feed on the tape of Delarosbil who whipped in his second of the night while driving through the slot.
He then finished his three-tally night by striking shorthanded in the late going as he skated hard down the right wing before powering his way to the net and finishing off his offensive outburst at 18:19, to round out the scoring.
Zeppa collected the win for the Soo as he earned his sixth straight decision while Delaquis suffered the loss.
