NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014
Thunderbirds roll to 4th straight victory
SAULT STE. MARIE – Matt Pinder had a hat trick and two assists while Nathan Hebert scored once and added four helpers to help the Soo Thunderbirds roll over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 7-1 Sunday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
A tight-checking opening 20 minutes saw Sault Ste. Marie notch the lone tally as Nicolas Sicoly notched his sixth of the season 3:40 into the contest.
The Thunderbirds blew the game open in the middle stanza striking four times to go up by five through two periods of play.
Eric Hillock began the outburst with a power play effort at the 48-second mark followed by Pinder’s first of the affair at 6:11.
Matthew Mitchell made 4-0 after 12 minutes before another by Pinder, this one coming on the power play, late in the session kept the Thunderbirds rolling.
Luke Soares broke Brian Kment’s shutout bid 3:37 into the third before Pinder and Hebert added later tallies to round out the scoring.
Kment finished with 24 saves to record the win as the Sault improved to 6-2 while Kirkland Lake slipped to 7-3.
Kenny Fitzgerald started for the Gold Miners and suffered the loss allowing four on 19 shots with Devon Debastos giving up three on 13 attempts in 28 minutes of relief.
NOJHL play continues Wednesday on two fronts as the Soo hosts Blind River while Sudbury is at home to Elliot Lake in a pair of 7:30 p.m. starts.
