T-Birds season comes to an end in overtime (11 photos)

The Soo Thunderbirds were looking to use a little more of their overtime magic to keep their playoff hopes alive on Friday night.

But Chris Kraft erased the Thunderbirds spell and scored the game winner 4:54 into overtime to lift the Northern Michigan Black Bears to a 4-3 win and capture the best-of-seven Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League western division final 4-2.

Northern Michigan will now face the winner of the eastern division final between North Bay and Abitibi for the league championship and the right to advance to the Dudley-Hewitt Cup, the regional championship tournament.

The Black Bears needed a late third period rally to rebound from a 3-1 deficit and send the game into overtime.

Defenseman Bill Brennan's point shot beat Thunderbirds goaltender Michael Maulucci with 7:16 remaining in regulation time before Steve Kruszewski's second goal of the game tied the score at 3-3 with 3:15 remaining.

Tied at 1-1 after two periods, the Thunderbirds looked to be well on their way to a win when Ryan Maunu scored at 4:21 before Justin Shelleby's goal power play at 9:24 had the Black Bears reeling.

But the tide quickly turned in Northern Michigan's favour after Thunderbirds sniper Matt Caria and Black Bears defenseman John Nogatch were ejected for fighting.

Caria scored in the first period while Kruszewski answered back with his first on the contest in the second period. Maunu added a pair of assists and Shelleby another.

Russell Law recorded two assists for the Black Bears while Kruszewski and Kraft set up one each.

Black Bears goaltender Tony Stoehr stopped 27 of 30 shots in the win while Northern Michigan fired 43 shots at Maulucci.

The Thunderbirds entered the contest looking to continue a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit after back-to-back victories in double overtime in games four and five.

(All photos courtesy of Jim Egan.)