SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Multi-goal nights from multiple players was more than enough to send the Soo Thunderbirds over the French River Rapids 11-2 Friday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Friday at John Rhodes Community Centre.
A solid start for the Rapids saw them strike first in the matchup as Noah Saye scored two and a half minutes in when he lifted in a puck that found his stick off the end boards past Thunderbirds’ goaltender Ryan Hicks.
Coming back to tie it at 5:26, Jaxon Turnbull snapped a shot through a screen that rang off the post and went in by a screened Matis Bureau-Morel in the French River net.
From there, Adam Pszeniczny put Sault Ste. Marie ahead when he finished off a give-and-go with Gavin Killoran on a two-on-one.
That gives Killoran points in six straight games.
Going to work on the man advantage, the T-Birds tacked on two more to take control with Owen Murphy burying one from the slot after an Aiden Atkinson set-up before Pszeniczny potted another by converting from close range.
More from the Soo early in the middle stanza, saw Landon Hill drive down the left wing, then muscle his way to the net, where he tucked in his 14th on the campaign.
Securing the result in the final frame, Wyatt Groth scored for a third straight outing as he converted while the Thunderbirds were shorthanded as while falling on a odd-man rush finished off a Jayden Arnold feed three minutes in.
Another extra man effort saw Hill collect his second goal of the night when he banked one in from a sharp angle that eluded back-up Gavin Zuccato, who had entered in relief for French River.
James Legler then added to the onslaught as he wired one into the left corner while wheeling down the slot.
Turnbull then redirected a Declan Gallivan point shot for his second of the night.
Two more from Killoran helped the T-Birds surpass double digits prior to Jack Wilson scoring in the final minute for the Rapids to finish it off.
