Thunderbirds hold on to derail Express

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016

Photo credit: Miranda Zilkowsky

Thunderbirds hold on to derail Express

SUDBURY, Ont. – Jake Behse tallied twice to help lift the Soo Thunderbirds to a 4-3 triumph over the Espanola Express Wednesday afternoon in Game 9 of the NOJHL Showcase at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.

It took Sault Ste. Marie just over two minutes to open the scoring as defence Jake Behse snapped a shot past Espanola starter Logan Sawka from the right side.

Nate Viberg then tied it for the Express at 5:58 to level it at 1-1.

Down a man late in the first the Thunderbirds took the lead as they struck shorthanded at 18:40 as Ryan Waterhouse notched his fourth of the campaign.

Moving into the middle stanza the Soo added to the lead at 14:47 as Behse buried his second of the afternoon wristing one from the left point that eluded Sawka.

Espanola got that back a couple shifts late with Viberg picking up another just over a minute after that however Gage Stephney matched that for the Soo a minute and a half later make it 4-2 T-Birds through.

Dominick Lavergne supplied his seventh of the campaign 2:13 into the third to bring the Express back to within one.

Espanola picked up a late man advantage opportunity with just over a minute to go and pulled their netminder Kyle Alaverdy in favour of an extra attacker but could not net the equalizer before time expired.

Shots on goal were 32-24 in favour of the Soo with Dougie Newhouse picking up the win.

Logan Sawka suffered the loss allowing four against on 24 attempts before leaving due to injury after 38 minutes.

Alaverdy handled all eight attempts he saw.