NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013
Thunderbirds rally to edge Trappers in double OT
NORTH BAY – An Anthony Miller unassisted goal, three minutes into the second overtime, lifted the Soo Thunderbirds to a 3-2 come from behind victory over the North Bay Trappers Sunday afternoon in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at West Ferris Arena.
Neither side would get on the board in a scoreless opening frame that saw the Trappers out shoot the T-Birds 14-10 in the session.
The second stanza saw Sault Ste. Marie break the ice with the game’s opening tally as Daniel Pyymaki beat North Bay netminder Evan Cormier midway through the period.
Using the man advantage to answer back, the Trappers tied it as Jake Staples notched his first career NOJHL goal at 15:47.
North Bay then took the lead in the late stages of the middle frame as Christian Sgroi also potted tally No. 1 in a Trappers uniform at 19:03.
In the third it was the Thunderbirds’ turn to pull even as defenceman Fraser Turner levelled the proceeding with 11 minutes to go in regulation to force extra time.
Action in first OT saw the two teams go four skaters aside, but neither club could net the winner.
The second OT featured frantic end-to-end action with both sides going three-on-three and having glorious opportunities to end it.
With the possibility of the league’s first tie game of the season looming, Miller would end it, stripping a North Bay defender in the neutral zone then dashing back into the Trappers end where he cut around another defenceman before lifting the game-winner over the blocker of Cormier to give his side the extra point in the standings.
Brian Kment made 32 saves in picking up the win in net for Sault Ste. Marie as they improved to 3-1 overall.
Cormier’s 52-save effort allowed his club to pick-up their first point of the campaign as they went to 0-3-0-1.
League play resumes this evening at 7:30 p.m. as the 4-0 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners are in Iroquois Falls to take on the 1-2 Abitibi Eskimos.
