T-Birds score win heading into showdown with Beavers

The Soo Thunderbirds picked up a much needed victory on Friday night to set themselves up for a showdown with the Blind River Beavers.

Not looking ahead to the matchup with the Beavers, the Thunderbirds scored four first period goals to skate past the hometown Manitoulin Wild 5-3 on Friday.

The victory moves the Thunderbirds back into a second place tie with the Beavers in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League western division standings although Blind River holds two games in hand.

Those two games will be made up this weekend as the Beavers play a pair of tough road games against the top two teams in the eastern division. The Beavers meet the Abitibi Eskimos on Saturday and the North Bay Skyhawks on Sunday.

With the Thunderbirds and Beavers set to meet in the first round of the NOJHL playoffs, home ice will be at stake as the teams meet on Wednesday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Following the contest, each team will have one regular season game remaining as the Thunderbirds host the Skyhawks and the Beavers host the Northern Michigan Black Bears next Saturday.

Against the Wild, Matt Dias scored twice while Drew Jarrett and Chris Towell added one each as the Thunderbirds grabbed a 4-1 lead after one period.

Jarrett scored his second of the game in the third period. Ryan Maunu recorded four assists in the game while Towell and Jarrett added one each.

Matt Hache stopped 31 of 34 shots in goal for the Thunderbirds while the Soo peppered Manitoulin with 38 shots.