T-Birds fall to disciplined Eskimos (UPDATED)

With several key players out of the lineup, the Soo Thunderbirds fell to the Abitibi Eskimos on Friday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

With four players scratched for disciplinary reasons, the Thunderbirds used the services of four call ups from the Soo North Stars.

Abitibi used a goal with 12.3 seconds remaining in the first period to tie the score at 2-2 and seize control of the game and skate to a 5-2 win.

Chris Towell and Ryan Maunu scored for the T-Birds in the first period while Nick Torresan and Corey Santamaria replied for the Eskimos.

Kurtis Camirand scored the game winning goal just 1:22 into the second period on the power play while Adam Chircoski added another late in the frame and Luc Champagne scored the lone third period marker.

The Eskimos outshot the Thunderbirds 32-20.

"There is a reason why they are ranked the 14th best team in the country and the fifth best in Ontario. They are a very disciplined team meaning they play the game clean and hard but they are following (Eskimos head coach Paul Gagne) program and it shows," said Thunderbirds head coach Toots Kovacs.

"We played in spurts and had some chances but we didn't capitalize on the ones we had. The back breaker was the goal with 12 seconds left in the first period. We took that faceoff with 17 seconds left and I asked them to do the job defensively and they went out looking for a breakaway."

The Soo North Stars' Travis O'Brien made the start in goal with the absence of both regular Thunderbirds goaltenders.

Starting goaltender Michael Maulucci was one of the four players, along with Pat Keating, Jeff Elliott and Justin Shelleby, suspended for a game by the club. Meanwhile, backup Matt Hache is currently backing up Kyle Gajewski with the absence of Jakub Cech on the Soo Greyhounds.

Kovacs praised the performance of North Stars call ups O'Brien, Mike Quesnele, Tyler Gendron, Paul Dupont and Jake McClelland. Anthony Naccarato was called up as a backup goaltender.

"I can't say that I was disappointment with my club's effort. We only had 13 of our own players and six call ups. The guys who were out tonight will be back in the lineup on Sunday and let's hope that they have the game of their lives.

"I think that the midget call ups really stepped it up for us and I think Quesnele did a helluva job and I think he is going to be a very good player in the future. The North Stars are were they are because they have good, honest, hardworking players there."

With the loss, the Thunderbirds fall into second place in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's western division, two points behind the Northern Michigan Black Bears and one point ahead of the Blind River Beavers and two in front of the Manitoulin Wild.

The Thunderbirds return to action on Sunday at the Rhodes against the Sudbury Northern Wolves at 6 p.m.

(All photos provided courtesy of Jim Egan.)