The Greater Sudbury Cubs downed the Soo Thunderbirds 4-2 on Oct. 7 at the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase, currently being held at Gerry McCrory Countryside Arena on Oct. 7-8.
The Showcase brings together all 11 NOJHL clubs, plus a team from St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, to round out a 12-team field. It gives fans a chance to see all NOJHL squads in action.
On Tuesday, the Cubs got the game’s first goal while shorthanded when Kaedyn Long chipped a play ahead and raced down the left wing to fire a shot atSault Ste. Marie goalie Ryan Hicks.
Hicks stopped the shot but the Cubs’ Caden Dubreuil shovelled in a backhand at 8:34 of the first to make it a 1-0 game.
Greater Sudbury made it 2-0 early in the second when Tyson Rismond took a cross-ice pass from Nolan Newton and beat a screened Hicks at 1:29.
“Trimming the deficit in half, Adam Pszeniczny put the T-Birds on the board past the midway mark of the match-up as he forced a turnover down low before eventually lifting in a second chance from in close,” then game report states.
The Cubs extended their lead to 3-1 a couple of shifts later on the power play. After winning a draw, the puck made its way to Newton who slammed in a rebound off a Rismond shot from the point.
The Tbirds made it 3-2 though on a late five-on-three after Deven Jones-McDonald took a pass from Frankie Reda and fired it past Beites at 19:14.
“Heading to the third, Greater Sudbury clicked on another power play thanks to Daks Klinkhammer finishing off a loose puck laying at the top of the crease, eight minutes in,” the report states.
With the Cubs up 4-2, Soo pulled Hicks with 2:33 to go in the game for an extra skater, but the effort would be for nothing and the game ended with a W for Greater Sudbury.
Picking up player of the game honours were Rismond and Hicks.