Hockey Notebook: Thunderbird teams wrap up pre-Christmas schedules

The Soo Thunderbirds major midget team completed their final Great North Midget League weekend before Christmas on home ice with a three-game set against the New Liskeard Cubs.

On Friday night, the Thunderbirds opened the weekend with a 3-0 win at the Rankin Arena.

Joey Roberts picked up the shutout in goal while Matt Murray and Ryan Mulligan led the way offensively with a goal and an assist each. Brendan Gillis chipped in with a goal in the win.

On Saturday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre, Cayse Ton had two goals and an assist to lead the Cubs to a 4-2 win. Marshal Nikitin and Justin Brazeau also scored for New Liskeard.

Matt MacKay and Brad Thrower scored for the Thunderbirds in the loss.

On Sunday the Thunderbirds rebounded for a 5-2 win thanks to three goals from Gillis offensively. MacKay and Murray also scored in the win. Ton and Cade Herd scored for New Liskeard in the loss.

The Thunderbirds enter the break in top spot in the GNML standings with a 20-6-0-1 record and 41 points. New Liskeard sits in second with 33 points (16-8-0-1).

Next league action for the Thunderbirds is on Jan. 3 at home against the North Bay Trappers.

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The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds enter the Christmas break with a seven-point lead atop the league’s West Division standings and tied for the overall league lead with 49 points.

The Thunderbirds wrapped up the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule on Sunday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre with a 4-2 win over the Elliot Lake Wildcats, the second-place team in the West Division.

Mario Culina made 26 saves while four different players had goals in the win.

Defenceman Andrew Barbeau scored the eventual game-winner at 6:27 of the final period, breaking a 2-2 tie. Eric Hillock sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute of action.

Matt Caruso and Nathan Hebert scored first-period goals for the Thunderbirds in the win.

Jason Wilson and Spencer MacLean scored for the Wildcats in the loss. Elliot Lake goaltender A.J. Smith made 36 saves.

The Thunderbirds entered the game on the heels of a 7-1 win over Mattawa on Friday night.

The Thunderbirds return to action on Jan. 2 when they host the Mattawa Blackhawks at the John Rhodes. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. The game wraps up a stretch of seven in a row at home for the Thunderbirds.

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The Soo Eagles were on the road with a pair of North American Hockey League games against the Minnesota Wilderness.

Ryan Anderson made 23 saves for the Wilderness on Friday night as they blanked the Eagles 3-0. Aaron Miller set up a pair of goals in the win while Billy Exell, Darian Romanko and Alex Toscano completed the scoring for the Wilderness.

Eagles goaltender Sean Keating made 36 saves in the loss.

On Sunday, Tyler Cline had two goals and two assists for the Wilderness in an 8-2 victory. Michael Covach chipped in with two goals and an assist in the win while Exell, Romanko and Brett Hiekkila added a goal and an assist each. Niklas Lehtimaki also scored in the win.

Keegan Miller and Sandis Zolmanis scored for the Eagles while Keating made 45 saves in the loss.

The Eagles return to action on Jan. 2 when they are on the road beginning a weekend set against the Springfield Jr. Blues.