Photos: Hélène Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – The Soo Thunderbirds saw 12 different players collect multiple points Sunday as they went on to blast the Blind River Beavers 11-3 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matchup at the Blind River Community Centre.
After going scoreless through the opening half of the first period, the Thunderbirds put a pair past Beavers’ netminder Justin Sullivan, in a two-minute span.
Aiden Atkinson notched Sault Ste. Marie’s initial marker by cruising into the Blind River zone and snapping in his 21st of the season at 10:07.
A couple of shifts later, Jayden Arnold converted by getting just enough of the puck to knock in a backhand, after being set-up by Wyatt Groth.
The Beavers got one a couple of shifts later when Armando Rojo-Bolton came out from behind the net and used a partial ‘Michigan’ to lift one past Thunderbirds’ goalkeeper Ryan Hicks.
Answering that quickly, a wide-open Adam Pszeniczny converted from in close.
Breaking it open in the back-half of the middle stanza, the Soo outscored Blind River 3-1 once again to go up by four after 40 minutes.
James Legler began that outburst at 12:10 by reaching the 20-goal plateau when he wired one over the blocker of Sullivan.
Pulling back to within two, Ryder Hill was left with a backhand tap-in for the Beavers off a Samuel Gravel blast.
Finishing the frame strong, the T-Birds tacked on two more when Rhys Bonvie snapped one in from the top of the left circle before Groth pumped in a rebound off a Landon Hill shot.
Down a man to begin the third, Ethan McLean struck shorthanded 55 seconds into the session as he buried one short side on Hicks after going in on a two-man break with Hill.
Still on an extended power play though, Deven Jones-McDonald collected his 22nd tally on the year by finishing off a smart three-way passing play with Legler and Declan Gallivan.
The assist for Gallivan gives him points in six straight contests.
He then picked up his initial marker of the season, in the waning moments of their lengthy man advantage, by roofing a wrist shot into the top right corner.
Adding to the Soo’s offensive barrage, Groth managed to chip in a bouncing puck that got through Sullivan.
Reaching double digits, Vincent Bondy lifted in the leftovers of a Jaden van de Ven point blast off the end boards that bounced out front.
The T-Birds then capped off the one-sided result when Owen Murphy sent a feed in front that hit off the skate of Jaxson Turnbull and go in.
With the outcome, the Thunderbirds raise their record to 29-14-2-2 and with the loss, the Beavers drop to 15-30-0-4.
