TIMMINS, Ont. – A Braedyn Cyr marker 44 seconds into overtime helped the Timmins Rock withstand a late comeback by the Soo Thunderbirds and prevail 6-5 Friday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at McIntyre Arena.
Sault Ste. Marie got off to a good start, connecting 3:18 into the contest as Deven Jones-McDonald drove into the Timmins zone and put a play in front that saw Aiden Atkinson have a couple of in-close cracks before snapping one past Timmins’ netminder Ayden Mullen for his 12th of the season.
The Rock answered that a couple of shifts later thanks to Edan Etheridge lifting in a loose puck past a downed Ryan Hicks in the crease.
Generating a turnover helped the Thunderbirds go back in front as Jaxon Turnbull picked the pocket of a Rock defender and fed Gavin Killoran, who quickly converted.
Answering on the next shift, Matthew Kim lifted an attempt to the target from the left point that was redirected in by Maxx Hamelin to knot the affair at 2-2.
Still tied into the second stanza, the visitors gained the edge once more thanks to Wyatt Groth, who chased one down on the left wing and wired a shot into the top right-hand corner on Mullen.
Continuing to trade tallies, Hamelin clicked moments into a man advantage as he ripped in his second of the night while moving into the right circle.
Remaining level into the third period, Timmins took their initial lead as Diego Da Silva clicked on an early man advantage as he took a Cyr feed and cranked in a one-timer at 1:28.
Thomas Beard then put the hosts up by two and he snapped in his 50th career NOJHL goal from a prime scoring area.
Battling back, T-Birds defenceman Vincent Bondy finished off a chance while battling down low while they were up a skater.
Then with Hicks out for an extra attacker in the waning moments of regulation, Atkinson whipped in the equalizer with 16 seconds to go after the puck found its way to him courtesy of Jones-McDonald and Declan Gallivan.
In the end though, it was Timmins who prevailed when Cyr steered in the game-winner in front on a set-up put his way by Kaeden McArthur.
With the triumph, the Rock raise their record to 28-6-0-1 and by earning a point in the setback, the Thunderbirds go to 20-12-2-2.
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
