Hockey Notebook: Thunderbirds midget team sweeps road trip

The Soo Thunderbirds of the Great North Midget League saw action in three road games over the weekend.

On Friday night, five different players had goals in a 5-2 win against New Liskeard. Matt MacKay, Brad Thrower, Zach Senecal, Matt Murray and Jared Fanti scored in the Thunderbirds win.

Gabriel Rheault and Cameron Moore scored for New Liskeard in the loss.

On Saturday night, Fanti scored what would turn into the game-winning goal just 47 seconds into the second period, breaking a 1-1 tie in the process and lifting the Thunderbirds to a 2-1 win over the Kapuskasing Flyers. Brendan Gillis also scored for the Thunderbirds while Chad Robert scored for Kapuskasing.

On Sunday afternoon, Brendan Gillis scored three times and set up two more goals as the Thunderbirds blanked the Timmins Majors 8-0. MacKay had a pair of goals while Fanti, Thrower and Lucas Miller also scored in the win.

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After some schedule changes the Batchewana Attack won a pair of Canadian International Hockey League games over the weekend.

The team had a pair of weekend games against the Colborne Hawks and Milton Cobras but those games were cancelled due to insurance issues with the two teams. The league eventually released a statement on the situation.

On Friday night four different players scored goals to lead the Attack to a 4-2 win over the CIHL’s newest entry, the Kalkaska Rhinos. Johan Kling, Jacob Palmerio, Sergei Koroshun and Drake Pilon scored for the Attack in the win,

On Saturday night, Darian Pilon scored three times to lead the Attack to a 10-0 win over the St. Charles Spirit. Palmerio added a pair of goals in the win. Kling, Koroshun, Brian Stack, Nate Harris and Grant Syrette also scored for Batchewana. Shane Zorzit assisted on three goals in the win.

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The Soo Eagles were in action for three North American Hockey League road games.

On Friday night, Trevor Recktenwald had a goal and two assists to lead the Johnstown Tomahawks to a 5-2 win over the Eagles. Joe Drabin added a goal and an assist while Jake Houston, Zac Robbins and Casey Linkenheld also scored for Johnstown while Dalton Hunter added a pair of assists in the win.

Eagles goaltender Jack Berry stopped 34 shots in Friday’s loss. John O’Connor and Nick Belger scored for the Eagles.

On Saturday night, Raymond Brice’s goal at 8:19 of the second period was the eventual game-winner as the Eagles beat the Keystone Ice Miners 2-1. Sean Keating made 28 saves for the Eagles in the win while Chase Matson also scored.

Alex Archibald scored for Keystone in Saturday’s loss.

The Eagles wrapped up the weekend on Sunday with a 3-2 shootout win against Keystone. Belger and Denver Pierce scored in the shootout for the Eagles. Belger and Pat Gazzilo scored in regulation time for the Eagles while Keating made 33 saves.

Austin Romzek had a goal and an assist for Keystone while goaltender Nick Kossoff stopped 37 shots. Tommy Horn also scored for Keystone in the loss.

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Western Collegiate Hockey Association action continued for the Lake Superior State Lakers over the weekend with road games against the University of Alabama-Huntsville.

The Lakers opened the weekend set on Friday night with a 1-0 victory. Goaltender Gordon Defiel stopped 26 shots for the shutout while Bryce Schmitt had the game-winning goal for the Lakers.

On Saturday night, Jeff Vanderlugt scored a goal and set up two others as Alabama-Huntsville rebounded for a 5-2 win. Max McHugh added a goal and an assist in the win while Cody Marooney, Jack Prince and Richard Buri also scored.

Chris Ciotti had a goal and an assist for the Lakers while Garret Clemment also scored in the loss.