Baby Hounds inch closer to finals

The Soo Junior. Greyhounds are one win away from knocking off the eight-time defending NOJHL champion Rayside Balfour Sabrecats after beating the visitors 5-3 Saturday night at Memorial Gardens.

Two point performances by Matt West, Beau Neveau and Kelly Thomson led the Jr. Hounds to victory.

The Jr. Hounds looked as though they were going to take control of the game early as Adam Campbell opened the scoring just 23 seconds into the game. Thomson put the Jr. Hounds up 2-0 at the 1:51 mark by beating Rayside goaltender Justin Labrie glove side. Rayside cut into the lead at 3:41 when Al Joanette tipped home a Matt Carbone point shot on the power play to cut the lead to 2-1.

Rayside tied the game at 13:57 of the second period when Carbone cut into the Jr. Hound zone and across the ice pulling Soo netminder Shane Bellini out of the net. With Bellini down and out Carbone put the puck in the empty cage. At 16:02 Jr. Hound defenseman Erc McKechnie beat Labrie to give the Jr. Hounds the lead again at 3-2. The Sabrecats didn't let up though as Scott Singor scored to tie the game again with a power play goal at 19:42 of the period.

In the third the Jr. Hounds put the game away as West scored 9:19 to restore the Soo lead. Joey Coccimiglio completed the Jr. Hounds scoring at 19:10 of the third with an empty net marker.

A strong effort in goal by Bellini helped the Hounds to victory as he stopped 28 Rayside shots in the win. The series now shifts back to Chelmsford with the Jr. Hounds leading the best-of-7 semi-final series 3-2 and having a chance to wrap up the series Monday night.

If needed, Game 7 would be back at Memorial Gardens on Tuesday night.