Savard ties team record in overtime win against the Eagles

By Matt Stefano

After hammering the Elliot Lake Wildcats by a score of 11-3 one week ago in Elliot Lake, the Soo Thunderbirds returned to action on Friday night as they made a visit to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to take on the Soo Eagles.

So far this season, the twin Soos have had three out of six meetings against each other that were decided in extra time.

And whenever it came down to extra time between these two clubs this season, the Eagles have won all three times against the Thunderbirds, including twice in a shootout and once in overtime.

But Friday night’s game was a different story when it ended up going into overtime.

After going scoreless through sixty minutes of play on Friday night, it would be the Thunderbirds picking up the victory this time against the Eagles as they blanked them by a score of 1-0 in overtime at the Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Thunderbirds rookie forward and Soo Greyhounds 2019 eleventh round pick Tyler Savard scored his eleventh goal of the season at the 1:29 mark of the overtime period from Avery Rebek, which proved to be the game winner.

Savard, who also scored his second overtime goal of the season, tied the Soo Thunderbirds record for most overtime goals by a player in a regular season, joining Jeff Rainville (2003),  Jerry Petingalo (2011), Geoff Gieni (2011) and Eric Hillock (2014).

Eagles netminder Shane Brancato gave up one goal on thirty two shots in the loss while Thunderbirds goaltender Sam Evola made thirty nine saves for his second shutout of the season.

The Thunderbirds will now be back in action on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m., when they take on NOJHL’s top scoring defenceman Mattias Salem and the Espanola Express at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

ALUMNI BIRD WATCH

Soo Thunderbirds graduate Robert Calisti is ranked 137th on the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Midterm Rankings List.

Calisti, who is in his second full season with the Soo Greyhounds, currently leads all Hounds blueliners in goals with 12 and has 31 points in 42 games so far.

(Photo of Tyler Savard credit to Bob Davies)

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