U18 Greyhounds and U18 Wolves Split Weekend in Sault Ste Marie -

Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

The Soo U18 Greyhounds hosted the Sudbury Wolves at the John Rhodes Centre in Sault Ste. Marie for an action-packed weekend of GNU18HL hockey on Saturday, December 21, and Sunday, December 22. Both teams delivered thrilling performances, with the Wolves securing a dramatic shootout victory in the second game of the back-to-back series while in game one of the weekend saw the Greyhounds defeating the Wolves 4 – 3 while falling to Sudbury in a 5 – 4 shootout on Sunday afternoon to close out the weekend.

Game 2 Recap: Sudbury Heads Home with a Shootout Win
In game two of the weekend, the Sudbury Wolves came out on top in a thrilling Sunday afternoon matchup, earning a 5-4 shootout victory over the Soo U18 Greyhounds at the John Rhodes Centre. The first period was a high-scoring affair, with Sudbury’s Khade Metatawabin and Drake Taylor finding the back of the net. Gavin Killoran responded for the Greyhounds, but Noah Lafrance restored Sudbury’s two-goal lead, sending the Wolves into the first intermission ahead 3-1.

In the second period, the Greyhounds began to push back. Caleb Walker narrowed the deficit with a well-placed shot, and Espen Escasa continued his strong weekend with another goal to tie the game. Denver Mulligan gave the Wolves a brief lead, but the Soo’s resilience kept the contest tight, setting up a tense finish as both teams entered the third period locked in a battle.

The final frame and overtime proved scoreless despite excellent scoring chances for both teams, thanks to standout performances by the goaltenders. Sudbury’s Wesley Richer made 29 saves on 33 shots, while Soo’s Sebastien Brassard delivered an impressive effort, turning away 39 of 43 shots. In the shootout, Russell Ranger delivered the decisive goal, sending Sudbury home with a well-earned victory and splitting the weekend series.

Game 1 Recap: Greyhounds Take Saturday Showdown
In the opening game of the weekend, the Soo Greyhounds edged out the Wolves in a high-scoring affair, securing a 5-4 victory. A balanced attack and strong goaltending from Nick Marson propelled the Greyhounds to the win.

The Soo U18 Greyhounds opened their weekend series with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Sudbury Wolves on Saturday at the John Rhodes Centre. The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading goals and momentum throughout. Sudbury struck first in the opening period with a goal from Hudson Goulet, but Caleb Walker answered for the Greyhounds to tie the game 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

In the second period, the Greyhounds gained the edge with Espen Escasa lighting the lamp, but the Wolves refused to back down as Jameson Fabbro netted an equalizer. The stage was set for a dramatic final frame, where Anthony Spironello and Denver Mulligan scored for the Soo, while Danny MacDonald managed to keep Sudbury within reach. Ultimately, the Greyhounds’ offensive pressure proved too much for the Wolves.

Goaltending played a crucial role in the outcome. Sudbury’s Declan McNamara made 34 saves on 37 shots in a valiant effort, but it was the Soo’s Nick Marson who stood tall in net, turning aside 23 of 27 shots to secure the win. With the victory, the Greyhounds set the tone for a competitive weekend series against their divisional rivals.

Soo coach Avery Rebek told Saultsports that “the guys had a very good weekend! Effort was there all around but just have to figure some small issues out to carry into next weekend against North Bay. But overall three out of four points is a good weekend, I believe we played well enough to earn four points but some things costed us such as discipline to cost us the extra point

Up next the Greyhounds will host the North Bay U18 Trappers on Saturday, December 28th in an 8:00 p.m puck drop followed by the U16 Greyhounds hosting the Trappers on Sunday, December 29th in a 12:00 p.m start.

Sunday, December 22 (12:00 p.m)
1st Period
(4:37) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Khade Metatawabin (Brett Moxam/Hudson Goulet)
(6:29) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Drake Taylor (Jameson Fabbro/Denver Mulligan) (PP)
(10:48) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Anthony Spironello (Jackson Thornton/Jevon Johnson) (PP)
(11:13) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Gavin Killoran (Alessandro Parco/Dylan Rousselle) (SH)
(19:06) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Noah Lafrance (Joshua Cholette-Hebert)

2nd Period
(10:10) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Denver Mulligan (Khade Metatawabin/Noah Lafrance)
(12:08) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Caleb Walker (Alessandro Parco)
(13:49) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Espen Escasa (Bodie Belair)

3rd
No Scoring

1st OT
No Scoring

Shootout
Sudbury U18 Wolves – Russell Ranger (Yes), Denver Mulligan (No)
Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Dylan Rousselle (No), Danny MacDonald (No), Espen Escasa (No)

Saturday, December 22nd (8:00 p.m)
1st Period
(7:35) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Hudson Goulet (Brett Moxam/Grady Jalbert) (PP)
)9:23) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Caleb Walker (Gavin Killoran)

2nd Period
(5:44) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Espen Escasa (Dylan Rousselle/Gavin Killoran) (PP)
(9:00) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Jameson Fabbro (Noah Lafrance)

3rd
(11:53) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Anthony Spironello (Caleb Walker)
(18:19) Sudbury U18 Wolves – Denver Mulligan (Hudson Goulet/Grady Jalbert)
(19:50) Soo U18 Jr Greyhounds – Danny MacDonald (Espen Escasa/Dylan Rousselle) (PP)