Thunderbirds need overtime for series sweep

The Soo Thunderbirds needed yet another overtime period to defeat the Northern Michigan Black Bears.

On Saturday, Aaron Anderson scored the overtime winner to give the Soo a 6-5 win and a 4-0 sweep of the best-of-seven Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) Western Division final.

It was the third time this series that the Thunderbirds and Black Bears played into an extra frame.

The Thunderbirds will now await the winner of the Eastern Division final between the North Bay Skyhawks and the Sudbury Northern Wolves for the league championship.

Sudbury leads the series 1-0 with game two scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Anderson led the Thunderbirds attack with three goals while Kelly Thomson, who scored the overtime winner in game three on Thursday night, added a pair. Matt Dias rounded out the Soo scoring.

Dias opened the scoring 4:15 into the game before Ryan Behnke and Jake Cole with two gave the Black Bears a 3-1 lead.

Thompson scored his first late in the period to close the gap to 3-2 after one period.

After Russell Law put the Black Bears ahead 4-2 early in the second period, the Thunderbirds pulled even with two late goals 14 seconds apart.

Anderson scored his first of the game on the power play before Thomson netted his second.

In the third period, Behnke gave Northern Michigan a 5-4 lead at 9:44 before Anderson setup his own game winner by scoring with just 1:29 remaining in regulation time.

The Thunderbirds will make their fourth straight appearance in the league championship series.