By Matt Stefano
Logan Raffaele remains unbeaten.
On Friday night, Soo Eagles goaltender Logan Raffaele improved his record to 6 wins and 0 losses on the season, as he made 31 saves to
help lead the Soo Eagles to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Soo Thunderbirds at Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
Raffaele, who improved his record to 6-0 on the season, also became the first Soo Eagle goaltender to win his first six games of a season since Chris Truehl did back in 2011-2012.
The Thunderbirds opened the scoring just 27 seconds into the first period as Dharan Cap would notch his team-leading 6th goal of the season from Jackson Truchan and Youssef Chaouachi, which put the Thunderbirds up by a score of 1-0.
Truchan and Chaouachi, who both had assists on Cap’s tally, also extended their point-scoring streaks to four games.
With the Thunderbirds leading the Eagles 1-0 late in the second, it would then be Eagles newcomer Bryce Grandboise getting his first career NOJHL tally at the 18:04 mark of the middle frame, which tied the game at one heading into the third.
Grandboise’s first career NOJHL goal, also came in his NOJHL debut.
Grandboise would then get his second goal of the night and second goal of the season just 3:24 into the third period, putting the Eagles up by a score of 2-1.
Just 2:40 later after Grandboise’s second goal, it would then be T-Birds forward Michael Chaffay scoring his third goal of the season on a power play from Brock Santa Maria, which tied things up at two heading into overtime.
Santa Maria, who drew an assist on Chaffay’s tally, also extended his point-scoring streak to two games.
Despite outshooting the Eagles 5-0 in overtime, neither team would score, so the teams were then headed to a shootout.
During the shootout, forwards Brian Fiddes and Chase Tallaire had the goals for the Eagles while defenceman Brodie McConnell-Barker had the lone goal for the Thunderbirds.
Tallaire, who was the third shooter for the Eagles in the shootout, scored the shootout winning goal.
Thunderbirds goaltender Landon Miller made 26 saves in the loss.
With the loss, the Thunderbirds will now head into Thanksgiving weekend with a record of 4 wins, 6 losses and 1 shootout loss, good for 9 points and sixth place in the NOJHL’s West Division standings.
Next action for the Thunderbirds will be on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m., when they visit the Blind River Community Centre to take on the Blind River Beavers in Blind River.
THE BRYCE IS RIGHT
In his NOJHL debut against the Soo Thunderbirds on Friday night, Soo Eagles newcomer Bryce Grandboise finished the night with two goals, giving him his first two NOJHL tallies.
Grandboise, who scored two NOJHL goals on Saturday night, became the first Soo Eagle to score two goals in an NOJHL debut since Riley Jensen did back on September 7, 2018.
FOSTER GETS HIS FIRST
On Friday night in Ottawa, Ontario, former Soo Thunderbirds forward Cooper Foster scored his first career Ontario Hockey League goal with the Ottawa 67’s in their 5-3 win against the Kitchener Rangers.
Foster, who is currently in his rookie season with the Ottawa 67’s, now has 1 goal in his first 3 games played.
(Photo credit to Justin Cairns)
