Soo Thunderbirds Zack LaRue handles the puck in the Skyhawks zone while defenseman Nick Laporte looks on. Photo by Krysta Frederick.
The Soo Thunderbirds came into game 2 of the NOJHL Finals and did what they could not do in the regular season and won in Memorial Gardens. The visitors trounced the North Bay Skyhawks 5-0 to take a 2-0 series lead in the best of seven battle. The Thunderbirds have now out-shot the Skyhawks 91-50 in the first two games, peppering goaltender Jeff Michael in both games.
“Guys got selfish and we threw it away,” was Skyhawks head coach Ian Swalucynski’s assessment of his team’s performance on Tuesday night. “Losing a conversation about who’s the better hockey player is more important than the 21 guys you go to war with,” added the bench boss, pointing to a few players on his squad not playing a strong team game.
Trevor McNutt got the T-Birds going late in the first period, his shot from the top of the circle caught defenseman Brad Norkum’s stick in front of Michael, deflecting it over his shoulder and into the net.
Just as in the first game, the shots were lopsided in the opening frame as the Soo managed 14 shots to North Bay’s 5.
The second period was similar to the first; each team had a few power play opportunities but neither was able to put one away with the extra man. The Soo’s Zak LaRue scored midway through the second with an unassisted marker to put his squad up 2-0.
“Our defense has really stepped up; all five guys in the D-zone and Dube in net,” said Soo head coach Pat Carricato after the game. “We’re playing with confidence; they’re calm back there, we’re not panicking and they’re focused,” added the coach.
Already without forward Ryan Loach for the last few games the Skyhawks were also without Justin Villeneuve in the lineup as he was injured in game 1. The two forwards who accounted for nearly 100 points combined in the regular season are listed as day to day, the team hopes to have them both back before the end of the series.
The third period was a totally different story; the Soo was able to capitalize on several opportunities and late in the period the game fell apart, marred by a slew of penalties.
Nick Minardi put the Thunderbirds up by three half way through the final stanza off a beautiful feed from defenseman Drew Otto. Otto streaked in on the power play and fed Minardi in the slot for the one timer that beat Michael low on the blocker side.
Jerry Petingalo scored just a little over two minutes later, also with the man advantage. Petingalo found a loose puck in a goal mouth scramble and bulged the twine to put the game all but out of reach.
After the Petingalo marker the parade to the penalty box and dressing room for some began.
Skyhawks forward Dan Frawley and the Thunderbirds Anthony Marasco tussled after Frawley took a boarding minor. While those two were being broken up, the ‘Hawks Nick Laporte and the T-Birds Warren Webster decided to drop the mitts. Laporte got the better of Warren but was assessed an extra game misconduct for trying to take an extra shot after the fight had been broken up by referee Derek Shillinglaw.
A few minutes later Norkum and Ryan McLean were sent to the dressing room for fighting although Norkum had both gloves and his stick still in hand after McLean was pulled off him.
With Joel Senecal already in the change room for misconduct the ‘Hawks bench was starting to wear thin in the late stages.
With five minutes remaining the Skyhawks got a two man advantage for a full minute and thirty seconds; they were able to get pucks to the net but Soo netminder Ryan Dube stood tall stopping all 14 shots he faced in the third.
Luke O’Brien scored late in the game picking up the rebound on a LaRue breakaway and tucking it behind a helpless Michael. Although he was beaten 5 times, Michael played well on the night and kept his team in the game until the late stages.
Swalucynski said his team was down but not out and they will need to regroup to get back into the series.
“I thought we were ready, I guess not,” said the coach. “Nothing’s over, hopefully we realize that, the only thing that happened is that we are down 2 games to nothing,” he added.
After the game Carricato was quick to say his team will not be able to take a breather if they hope to finish off a good Skyhawks team.
“Last two games, am I happy; yes, but am I satisfied, no, there is still a lot of work ahead,” said the Soo coach.
McNutt, LaRue and Otto were stars one, two and three respectively. Otto had 2 assists on the night with LaRue, McNutt, Marasco and Kevin Smith each adding one a piece.
Game 3 goes Thursday night at the Gardens with Game 4 back in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday night.
