Thunderbirds rolling along as NOJHL playoffs loom

With a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League playoff spot clinched, the Soo Thunderbirds continued to roll on Sunday.

The Thunderbirds have nine wins in their past 11 games, which includes a 5-2 win on Sunday over the Hearst Lumberjacks at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

The team is also unbeaten in regulation time over the stretch, which also included a 10-2 win over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners on Saturday night.

A goal by Silas Crawford with just over seven minutes to go in the second period held up as the winner in the victory over Hearst. Crawford went to the net and capitalized on a rebound of a shot by Sam Lake to give the Thunderbirds a 3-2 lead at the time.

Quinn Myles assisted on three goals to pace the Thunderbirds offensively.

Kelsey Ouellet and Jackson Truchan added a goal and an assist each for the Thunderbirds.

For Ouellet, the goal gives him markers in five consecutive games, and he also has points in 15 straight.

Jacob Smith and Jonathan Sonedecker also scored for the Sault in the win.

Goaltender Kolton Bourret stopped 25 shots for the Thunderbirds.

Noah Janicki and Mathieu Comeau scored for the Lumberjacks.

Hearst goaltender Russ Decoste stopped 36 shots.

In Saturday’s win, Smith paced the Thunderbirds with three goals while Lake had two goals and an assist and Crawford added a goal and two assists. Truchan also had a three-point night with three assists in the victory over Kirkland Lake.

With the weekend wins, the Thunderbirds take a record of 36-13-4-1 into the final four games of the regular season.

The team wraps up the home portion of the schedule on Tuesday night against the Soo (Mich.) Eagles in a 7 p.m. start at the Northern Community Centre.

The team then goes on the road to wrap up the regular season with games next weekend against the Timmins Rock on Friday, Kirkland Lake on Saturday and a return matchup with Hearst on Sunday.

Sunday’s loss drops Hearst’s record to 33-16-4-2.