Thunderbirds edge Gold Miners in OT -

Photos: Bob Davies

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – A Bryan Fenlon goal, 76 seconds into overtime, was the difference as the Soo Thunderbirds prevailed over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 3-2 Friday in a hard-fought Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at John Rhodes Community Centre.

Neither side would convert offensively in a fast-paced first period as the clubs went to their respective dressing rooms for the intermission still knotted at 0-0.

In the second stanza, Sault Ste. Marie opened the scoring while shorthanded as James Legler was sent in alone by teammate Aiden Atkinson and wired a shot past Kirkland Lake’s Caleb Shuker.

Countering with an equalizer at 11:44, Inde Abresch put the Gold Miners on the board as he jammed in a loose puck laying in the crease with bodies piled up beside a sprawled Lincoln Mellenthin in the Thunderbirds net.

On the power play to begin the third, the Soo retook the lead, compliments of a Jacob Smith wrister from the right side.

Answering once more, Jeremy Schoenborn drew the visitors even again when he knocked in a rebound off a point shot from Zachary Machoian at 6:55.

Staying tied the remainder of regulation, the clubs headed to extra time.

In the three-on-three OT, the Thunderbirds got the game-winner and the additional point on the night after Atkinson made a nice spin move deep in the Kirkland Lake zone, then fired a pass across to Fenlon, who hammered in a one-timer past Shuker to end it.

Both teams will see action Saturday with the T-Birds hosting the Iroquois Falls Storm, while the Gold Miners travel across the International Bridge and the St. Mary’s River to meet the Soo Eagles in a pair of 7 p.m. starts.