Eleven Goals Scored in Thunderbirds Game One Loss to Cubs in Sudbury -

Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

The Soo Thunderbirds faced an uphill battle in their best-of-seven semi-final series opener against the Greater Sudbury Cubs on Thursday, April 3rd, in Sudbury. Fresh off a dramatic game seven victory over the Blind River Beavers, the Thunderbirds were eager to carry their momentum into the semi-final. However, they were quickly stymied by a fast-starting Cubs team, who ultimately earned an 7-4 win in a game filled with physical fireworks.

The action started early, and it was Sudbury who struck first just 8:25 into the game. Lucas Signoretti won a crucial faceoff in the Soo zone, sending the puck to Nolan Newton, who found the back of the net to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Sudbury didn’t waste any time building on that lead. Four seconds past the midway point of the first period, Signoretti fired a backhand pass from the left corner to Daks Klinkhammer, who tucked the puck through the five-hole of Soo netminder Lincoln Mellenthin, making it 2-0. Newton picked up the assist, notching his second point of the night.

The Cubs continued to dominate, with Mason Walker scoring his first goal of the playoffs at 14:29. Walker rifled a wrist shot past Mellenthin from the top of the right faceoff circle to extend Sudbury’s lead to 3-0. The Cubs weren’t done there, adding a powerplay goal when Klinkhammer pounced on a loose puck in front of the Soo net and fired it past a sprawling Mellenthin to make it 4-0 at 16:13. Newton and Sam Assinewai earned assists on the play.

With just 14 seconds left in the first period, Noah Kohan increased Sudbury’s lead to 5-0. Kohan capitalized on a rebound off Mellenthin, sending the puck into the net. Signoretti and Newton provided the assists, completing a dominant first period for the Cubs.

The Thunderbirds didn’t back down, however. Just 48 seconds into the second period, Aiden Atkinson picked up a rebound off Sudbury goalie Karsen Chartier to get the Thunderbirds on the board, cutting the lead to 5-1. Matteo Moretta and Deven Jones-McDonald were credited with the assists on Atkinson’s third goal of the playoffs.

As the second period continued, Sudbury added to their lead. From behind the Soo net, Newton found Signoretti, who buried his eighth of the postseason at 5:59 to put the Cubs up 6-1. Assinewai picked up the secondary assist.

Despite the deficit, the Thunderbirds showed fight. Ryan Daze beat Sudbury’s defense on a breakaway and snuck a shot past Chartier to make it 6-2 at 9:45. Colin Chesnut and Sonedecker were credited with the assists on Daze’s first goal of the playoffs.

Soo capitalized on a five-minute major penalty from Sudbury’s Noah Kohan, who was called for boarding, when Callum McAuley picked up a failed clearing attempt and scored his fifth of the playoffs at 14:27 to pull the Thunderbirds within three at 6-3. Jones-McDonald had the assist on McAuley’s goal.

But Sudbury quickly regained control. The Cubs scored their first shorthanded goal of the playoffs at 17:23 when Signoretti netted his second of the game, lifting a shot past Mellenthin’s blocker to make it 7-3. Klinkhammer earned the assist.

In the third period, the Soo Thunderbirds made one final push, with Matteo Moretta scoring his second goal of the postseason at 11:59. Moretta fired a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle past Chartier to bring the score to 7-4. Jones-McDonald and James Elliott added the assists.

However, it was too little, too late for the Thunderbirds, as Sudbury held firm and completed the 7-4 victory. With the win, the Cubs take a 1-0 lead in the series as they head into game two.

In game one of the semi-final, Sudbury goaltender Karsen Chartier was solid between the pipes, stopping 24of 31 shots to help his team secure an 7 – 4 victory over the Soo Thunderbirds. Chartier’s performance included key saves at crucial moments, particularly during the Thunderbirds’ push in the second and third periods. On the other side, Soo netminder Lincoln Mellenthin faced a heavy barrage, turning away 24 of 31 shots in the loss. Despite the high number of goals, Mellenthin made several key saves throughout the game, including some tough stops in the first period when Sudbury’s offense was clicking. Both goalies had their hands full in a fast-paced, high-scoring game, with Chartier ultimately getting the better of Mellenthin in the series opener.

The Thunderbirds will look to regroup and bounce back when they face the Cubs again on Friday, April 4th, at 7:00 p.m. in Sudbury. With the series still very much in its early stages, Soo will need to sharpen their defense and capitalize on opportunities if they hope to even things up before returning home. Game two promises to be another physical contest as the Soo Thunderbirds try to regain momentum in this high-stakes playoff series.