Mauro scores overtime goal in win over Thunderbirds

By Matt Stefano

After dropping a 4-3 decision in a shootout to the Soo Eagles last Friday in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the Soo Thunderbirds were in Blind River on Friday night to take on the Blind River Beavers.

Friday night’s game also marked the debut of newly acquired forward Coltan Hayes, who came over to the Thunderbirds in a trade with the OJHL’s Wellington Dukes back on Monday.

The Thunderbirds, who entered Friday night’s game on a five game losing streak, dropped their sixth consecutive game on Friday night as they fell by a score of 3-2 in overtime to the Blind River Beavers at the Blind River Community Centre.

After a scoreless opening period, it would be the Beavers opening the scoring in the middle frame as NOJHL’s top scorer Caleb Serre would get his 13th goal of the season with just 7 seconds to go in the second, putting his club up 1-0 after forty minutes of action.

Coldwater, Ontario native Nathan Balkwill would draw the only assist on Serre’s goal.

Just a minute into the third, it would be Thunderbirds leading goal scorer Matthew Bazarin getting his 7th goal of the season from Tristan Cicchello and Tyler Savard, which tied the game up at one.

The Beavers would then take a 2-1 lead at the 14:56 mark of the third, courtesy of Andrew Malek’s 2nd goal of the season from Maxwell Tucker and Milos Todorovic.

Thunderbirds rookie forward Jake Kovacs would then get his 4th goal of the season from Warner Young at the 17:19 mark of the third, which tied the game up two after three periods of play.

Then, just 55 ticks into the extra frame, it would be Erie Otters prospect and Sooite Justin Mauro getting his first career overtime goal from Maxwell Tucker, giving the Beavers a 3-2 overtime win over the Thunderbirds.

Thunderbirds netminder Colin Ahern made 37 saves in the loss, including one on the penalty shot against Beavers forward Caleb Serre at the 3:32 mark of the first period.

Beavers goaltender Jonathan Lemaire made 27 saves for the victory.

The Thunderbirds, who have now lost six in a row, have not lost six consecutive games since the 2006-2007 season.

That is their team record for the longest consecutive losing streak.

The Thunderbirds will be right back in action against the Beavers on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

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