Cubs Take Control with 6-3 Win in Game Three, Lead Series 3-0 Over Soo Thunderbirds -

Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

Coming off a tough 4-2 semi-final loss in game two on April 4th in Sudbury, the Soo Thunderbirds were hoping to bounce back on Tuesday, April 8th, as they faced the Greater Sudbury Cubs in a crucial game three of their best-of-seven series. The game was initially scheduled for Monday, April 7th, but was postponed due to inclement weather between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.

The Thunderbirds returned to the ice at home in Sault Ste. Marie, but the Cubs dominated early and never looked back, taking a 6-3 win and a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Cubs Strike First, Thunderbirds Answer Back
At 4:40 of the opening period, Greater Sudbury’s Lucas Signoretti capitalized on a turnover in the Soo’s zone, ripping a snapshot past Thunderbirds’ goaltender Noah Metivier under the catcher’s glove to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Spencer Horgan assisted on Signoretti’s tenth goal of the postseason.

However, the Thunderbirds responded quickly. With just under three minutes left in the first period, James Legler found a loose puck to the right of Sudbury’s net. He made no mistake, sliding the puck under Cubs’ goalie Karsen Chartier’s right pad to tie the game at 1-1 at 17:13. Bryan Fenlon and Declan Gallivan were credited with the assists on Legler’s fifth goal of the playoffs.

But the Cubs would regain the lead before the first intermission. At 18:33, Lucas Antonioni grabbed a loose puck in front of Metivier’s crease and lifted it over his glove to give Sudbury a 2-1 lead. Cameron Shanks and Nate Lazarus assisted on Antonioni’s first goal of the postseason, sending the Cubs into the break with a 3-1 lead.

Cubs Extend Lead in the Second
Sudbury kept the pressure on in the second period, with Signoretti firing a shot from the right faceoff circle. The puck was tipped by Mason Walker past Metivier at 14:01 to give the Cubs a 4-1 lead. Spencer Horgan provided the assist on Walker’s third of the postseason, a power play goal.

The Thunderbirds quickly answered back. Deven Jones-McDonald skated up the right side, cutting through the Sudbury zone to slip a shot through Chartier’s five-hole at 14:18 to make it 4-2. Bryan Fenlon and Cam Freeman assisted on Jones-McDonald’s second goal of the playoffs.

Just 54 seconds later, the Thunderbirds tied the game 3-3. Jones-McDonald, once again in the right faceoff circle, dropped the puck between his legs to find Legler, who rifled his sixth of the playoffs past Chartier at 15:12. Declan Gallivan earned the other assist on Legler’s game-tying goal.

But the Cubs would reclaim the lead with 1:47 left in the period. Nolan Newton, one-on-one with a Thunderbirds defenseman, slid the puck under Metivier’s left pad with one hand to give Sudbury a 4-3 lead at 18:13. Horgan and Harris contributed to Newton’s sixth goal of the postseason.

Chitaroni’s First Junior ‘A’ Goal and Horgan’s Empty Netter Secure the Win
In the third period, Sudbury continued to control the game. At 7:56, 16-year-old Brock Chitaroni, playing just his second game in a Cubs’ jersey, found the back of the net for the first time in his junior A career. Chitaroni’s shot from the bottom of the left faceoff circle squeezed through Metivier’s five-hole, giving Sudbury a 5-3 lead. Mason Walker and Brady Bouchard assisted on Chitaroni’s goal.

With just over two minutes remaining, the Thunderbirds pulled Metivier for an extra attacker in an attempt to close the gap. But at 18:52, Horgan sealed the win for the Cubs, firing a shot from his own right faceoff circle into the empty net to make it 6-3. Ryan Rubic picked up the lone assist on Horgan’s second of the playoffs, putting Sudbury on the brink of advancing to the NOJHL Championship Series.

Goaltender Performances
Sudbury’s Karsen Chartier turned in a solid performance, stopping 27 of 30 shots for the win. On the other side, Soo’s Noah Metivier made 24 saves on 29 shots but couldn’t prevent the Cubs from extending their series lead.

Sudbury coach Darryl Mxam told Saultsports that “this afternoon we played a hard discipline game and got contribution from everyone in the lineup. Sault will not stop coming at us and I thought we got running around in the second period but found a way to tighten up defensively in the third. Tomorrow we have to come with the same mindset we have all playoffs so far and that is to limit grade A opportunities against and play within our structure.”

“We’ve had way too many breakdowns in our own zone all series. We’ve had stretches where we’ve played some good hockey, and then we take a penalty or have a breakdown and they take advantage of it,” added Thunderbird coach Jamie Henderson.

Looking Ahead
The Cubs now hold a 3-0 lead in the series and will have the opportunity to advance to the NOJHL Championship Series with a Game Four win on Wednesday, April 9th. The game is set to take place at the John Rhodes Centre in Sault Ste. Marie with a 7:00 p.m. puck drop. The Thunderbirds, facing elimination, will look to stay alive and cut into the Cubs’ series lead with a crucial victory.

The stage is set for a dramatic Game Four. Will the Thunderbirds force a Game Five, or will the Cubs make their second consecutive appearance in the NOJHL Finals? Only time will tell.