SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – An Aiden Atkinson highlight reel goal in the waning moments of overtime lifted the Soo Thunderbirds to a dramatic 6-5 win against the Espanola Paper Kings in an action-packed Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League get together Saturday at John Rhodes Community Centre.
It was the Thunderbirds who also connected first in the contest when Jaxon Turnbull snagged a loose puck on the left side and set-up Adam Pszeniczny in the slot where he wired an attempt past Paper Kings’ netminder Logan Vale at 13:27.
Carrying their lead into the middle frame, another Pszeniczny effort made it 2-0 Sault Ste. Marie as he deposited a backhand from close range off a chance generated by Declan Gallivan, nearly six minutes in.
Answering back, Carter Drigo put Espanola on the board midway through the stanza as he steered in a feed put his way by Joseph Coates.
Building on that, Drigo tied it on a man advantage a couple of shifts later as he tipped in an Owen Smith shot that beat Soo goalkeeper Nathan McGuire.
Regrouping, the Thunderbirds went back out in front right after that when Max DeCoff pinballed one in off an attempt put towards the target from the right side.
Landon Hill then made it 4-2 for the Soo at 17:27 as he muscled his way through a defender along the side boards, then wired one in from a sharp angle.
Coming right back, the Paper Kings tallied twice in the remaining moments of the period to knot the affair after 40 minutes.
Jason Galante at 19:28 made it a one-goal game off a shot block that allowed him to convert after splitting the defence.
Drigo completed a hat trick by blasting in his third of the evening off a scrambled draw.
Another lead change saw the T-Birds go back on top during a man advantage in the third as Gavin Killoran knocked in a play put through the crease by Hill.
Battling back to force extra time, Espanola’s Michael Morascyzk fired the puck to the target from in deep that clipped off a Soo player and went in at 18:14.
Eventually prevailing late in OT, Pszeniczny sent a crisp feed in his own end up to a streaking Atkinson in the neutral zone, who flew into the zone with pace, darted around a falling defender, and took his opportunity hard to his left and propelled the game-winner over a sprawling Vale to finish it off.
With the result, the Thunderbirds improve to 22-13-2-2 and with a point in defeat, the Paper Kings drop to 21-16-1-3.
