The Greater Sudbury Cubs erupted for four unanswered goals in the back half of the third period to defeat the Soo Thunderbirds 5-2 Thursday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
With the teams sporting 1-1-1 records against each other so far this season, a fast-paced opening frame went without a tally as the clubs reached the first intermission still in search of the night’s initial marker.
In the second stanza, Sault Ste. Marie broke the deadlock while skating four a side as Deven Jones-McDonald worked his way into the Greater Sudbury zone along the left side before driving to the net and tucking a backhand through the legs of Cubs’ netminder Mateo Beites for his team-leading ninth goal of the campaign.
Pulling even during a man advantage at 11:19, Noah Kohan steered in a pass to the crease by Nolan Newton, while battling in front, eluding Thunderbirds’ goalkeeper Ryan Hicks.
Answering a couple of shifts later, the Soo retook the lead when Drew Christian swatted in the rebound off a shot from the left point by teammate Grady Holden.
Still 2-1 T-Birds into the third period, Greater Sudbury drew level once more after Eidan Macartney flew down the left wing and fired a sharp feed across to Kohan who guided in a backhand at 12:17 for his second of the night.
The Cubs then went in front just 15 seconds later after Caden Dubreuil snagged a loose puck to the left of Hicks and lifted it in for the eventual game-winner.
A third straight marker saw the hosts seal the comeback when Daks Klinkhammer took a short drop pass from Nate Lazarus and chipped it off Hicks before it fell in with 4:23 to go.
Recently acquired Owen King then capped off the outburst by notching his first with his new team as he converted on a late man advantage to round out the scoring.
Now unbeaten in seven, the Cubs improved to 11-5-1-0 overall while in defeat the Thunderbirds fell to 10-4-1-1.
The Cubs next take on the French River Rapids at the Noelville Arena at 7 p.m. Nov. 1.