Hockey Notebook: Thunderbirds and Attack enjoy successful weekends

The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Soo Thunderbirds picked up a pair of victories over the weekend on home ice.

After opening the weekend with a 6-2 win over the Sudbury Nickel Barons on Saturday night, the Thunderbirds beat the Abitibi Eskimos 6-3 on Sunday afternoon.

In Saturday’s win, six different players had goals for the Thunderbirds including a goal and an assist from Nicolas Tassone. Nic Sicoly, Jaren Bellini, Anthony Miller, Brett Jeffries and Eric Hillock also scored in the win. Nathan Hebert set up two goals for the Thunderbirds.

Ryan Mooney and August Jarecki scored for the Nickel Barons in the loss.

On Sunday, Tassone scored a pair of goals in the victory over Abitibi. Boris Katchouk added a goal and an assist for the Thunderbirds while Bellini picked up two assists. Jeffries, Hillock and Joey Miller also scored in the win.

Tristan Salesse and Brendan Locke had a goal and an assist each for Abitibi. Brennan Roy also scored in the loss. Eskimos goaltender Logan Ferrington made 40 saves.

Sunday’s game marked the first game with the Thunderbirds for Devin Shell, who was acquired from the GOJHL’s Cambridge Winter Hawks on Friday.

The Thunderbirds return to action on the road on Wednesday night when they travel to Sudbury to take on the Nickel Barons.

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ATTACK WIN SHOWCASE

The Batchewana Attack of the Canadian International Hockey League won the Tiffany Eckler Ferguson Memorial Showcase in Kalkaska, Mich. over the weekend.

Batchewana beat the Central Michigan University Chippewas 3-2 in the championship.

The Attack advanced to the final after a semi-final victory over the host-Kalkaska Rhinos, also members of the CIHL. Central Michigan beat the CIHL’s Espanola Rivermen in the semi-final to advance.

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LAKERS RETURN TO WCHA ACTION

After a tournament win in Florida during the Christmas holidays, the Lake Superior State Lakers returned to Western Collegiate Hockey Association action over the weekend on the road.

The Lakers dropped a pair of games to the nationally-ranked Minnesota State Mavericks.

On Friday night, Matt Leitner set up three goals to lead Minnesota State to a 5-2 win.C.J. Franklin had a goal and an assist while Zach Stepan, Zach Palmquist, Bryce Gervais and Max Gaede also scored in the win.

Alex Globke and Daniel Vernace had a goal and an assist each for the Lakers in Friday’s loss.

On Saturday night, Franklin, Palmquist and Dylan Margonari scored for Minnesota State in a 3-1 win to complete the weekend sweep.

Mitchell Nardi had the lone goal for the Lakers in Saturday’s loss.

The Lakers return to action on Jan. 16 when they host Bemidji State in the first of two games at Taffy Abel Arena.