T-Birds skate to a draw with Black Bears

The Northern Michigan Black Bears have been giving the Soo Thunderbirds fits all season long.

The Black Bears haven't dropped a game to the Thunderbirds since a September 28th 5-2 loss to the locals in Sault Ste. Marie.

The trend continued on Wednesday night as the Black Bears and Thunderbirds battled to a 4-4 tie at the John Rhodes Community Centre. The tie represented the third tie between the two teams in their last four meetings.

After the Thunderbirds won the first two meetings between the clubs, by scores of 7-2 and 5-2, the Black Bears have earned two wins and three ties in the last five meetings.

In the opening period, the Black Bears used a power play to open the scoring as John Nogatch took a point shot that eluded Soo goaltender Casey Mapes, who was screened on the play. Just under five minutes later, the Black Bears added to their lead as Ben Biddick deflected a point short from Tony Pomponio to increase the lead to 2-0.

With just over two minutes left in the period, the Thunderbirds cut into the Black Bears lead as Aaron Anderson beat Northern Michigan goaltender Tony Stoehr on a delayed penalty call to send the game into the first intermission with the Black Bears leading 2-1.

The Thunderbirds picked up their play in the second period after being outshot 9-5 in the opening stanza and managed to tie the game as Tom Vernelli scored on the power play at 9:27.

The Black Bears retook the lead late in the period when Steve Kruszewski scored from in close and put the Thunderbirds down a goal again heading into the final frame.

In the third, Alex Butkus took a feed in the slot from Vernelli, who was set up behind the Black Bears goal, and beat Stoehr at 4:59 to tie the game at three.

In continuing with the trend the Black Bears took the lead at 11:50 when Kruszewski scored his second of the night on a cross-ice feed from Jordan Bowman.

Ryan MacKay tied the game again at 16:20 to send the game into overtime.

The best chance in overtime went to the Thunderbirds in the final minute as Kelly Thomson and Mike MacMillan moved in on a 2-on-1. MacMillan fed Thomson with a perfect pass only to have Thomson's shot stopped by Stoehr who slid across the crease to foil the Thunderbird winger.

Stoehr, who was named the games first star, was strong in goal stopping 31 Soo shots in the tie while Mapes stopped 21 Black Bears shots for the Thunderbirds.

Thunderbirds head coach Jim Capy wasn't happy following the game as his team had a chance to clinch a division title with a win over the Black Bears.

"I don't want to say I'm disappointed, I'm more frustrated," Capy said following the tie. "We had a chance to clinch our division. We haven't beat these guys since late September. They've given us nothing but grief all year. I don't think we came to the rink ready to play. We battled back all night though."

Capy also credited both goaltenders in the game.

"They got solid goaltending (from Stoehr)," Capy commented. "Our goaltending was solid. On their first two goals, I don't think (Mapes) saw the puck."

Capy added that he felt his team just wasn't ready to play and not looking ahead to Friday night's game in North Bay against the Skyhawks, which is the Thunderbirds next game.

The game will be the first of two trips the Thunderbirds will make to North Bay between now and the end of the regular season.

Following Friday's game in North Bay the Thunderbirds will return home for a game on March 3 against the Blind River Beavers at the John Rhodes Community Centre. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

(PHOTO courtesy of Jim Egan)