Thunderbirds shake off rust, beat Blind River

After a lengthy layoff, the Soo Thunderbirds returned to action on Wednesday night, skating to a 5-2 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League win over the Blind River Beavers at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

Trailing 2-1 midway through the second period, the Thunderbirds proceeded to score four unanswered goals en route to the victory.

Just 1:55 after Ethan Pegg gave Blind River a 2-1 lead in the second period, veteran defenceman Warner Young tied the game for the Thunderbirds after his shot from the left circle went off the end boards before banking into the goal off Blind River netminder Wyatt Courchaine.

“It was a huge goal,” Thunderbirds coach Denny Lambert said. “Warner and I have talked about him getting up more on the ice and involved offensively and making things happen.”

“That was a huge goal for us, and it helped carry the confidence and momentum turn for us,” Lambert added. “That was a lot to do with him thinking about how he can be more of an offensive player because of his skating. It was the best game I’ve seen him play skating-wise and getting up the ice and making things happen.”

Young finished the night with a goal and an assist for the Thunderbirds.

Playing his first game of the season with the team after being acquired from the Ontario Junior League’s Cobourg Cougars, Noah Boman scored a pair of goals for the Thunderbirds and settled in nicely on a line with centre Brock Santa Maria and winger Caleb Wood.

“He really drove the play today,” Lambert said of Boman. “For not skating in a long time and a new team system, he drove the play and he had other opportunities other than the two goals he scored. He’s a big addition.”

Wood assisted on a pair of goals for the Thunderbirds while Cooper Smyl and Dylan Parsons rounded out the scoring.

Goaltender Alex Bugeja made 30 saves for the Thunderbirds while Courchaine made 47 stops for Blind River.

Jacob Kelly had a goal and an assist for the Beavers.

Lambert credited the Thunderbirds ability to bounce back in the game after an expected slow start following the two-month layoff.

“At the beginning of the game, we were sluggish and sloppy and that was to be expected. It was a long layoff,” Lambert said. “I thought we started taking the game over halfway through the second period and in the third we were very dominant.”

Lambert also said he challenged the team after the first period.

“We weren’t very good,” Lambert said. “We weren’t forechecking. We weren’t creating turnovers. We weren’t playing our game. The biggest thing is them as a group came out and turned the game around and took it over. That’s the biggest thing is it was a team effort. They were challenged by their coach and they turned their game around. That’s what stood out to me the most.”

The Thunderbirds played Wednesday’s game minus veteran forward Avery Rebek, who missed the game due to a lower body injury.

Mark Hill was the other scratch for the locals in the contest.

Will Josephson and Ryan Williams, who both started the season with the Thunderbirds, did not return to the team following the break.

The Thunderbirds and Beavers return to action on Friday night in a 7 p.m. start at the John Rhodes Community Centre before the series shifts to Blind River for a game on Sunday afternoon at the Blind River Community Centre.