Jr. A Trappers goaltender Mathieu Laberge,who was pulled and then re-inserted in goal, allows a weak first period goal through the legs in the opening period. Photo by Chris Dawson.
Jr. A Trappers goaltender Mathieu Laberge,who was pulled and then re-inserted in goal, allows a weak first period goal through the legs in the opening period. Photo by Chris Dawson.
The Soo Thunderbirds asserted their NOJHL dominance, scoring four times in each of the first two periods en route to a high tempo 11-4 win over the North Bay Jr. A Trappers Friday night at Memorial Gardens.
Peter Angelopolous had two goals and two assists to lead the balanced Soo onslaught which saw 17 of 18 skaters get at least a point. Matt Fuller added two goals and an assist for the Thunderbirds, who improve to a league-best 16-2-1.
Travis Fernley had two power play markers while newcomer Brennan Wright scored his first as a Trapper. Ryan West had the other North Bay goal and Sacha Guimond had four assists for the home side, who got little support between the pipes in extending their losing streak to three games.
"We had some bad goals let in and then we quit, plain and simple," said an exasperated Trappers head coach Ian Swalucynski.
"I thought we had a good start, played well, they got a couple bounces then we quit," he said.
"We can only go up, because that was friggin' embarrassing."
With Darnell Koosees and Scott Pawson back on defence replacing a concussed Colton Allan and a suspended Stephane Houle, the Trappers struggled to communicate and seemed confused at times in their own zone.
"Forwards playin' defence and they're not used to it, so, they're not talking," Swalucynski said.
"After this, we need some time away from the rink, myself included. Gotta regroup."
Anyone looking at the two teams on paper before the game could have expected no lack of offence, and they didn't disappoint as the Thunderbirds improved on their 5.5 goals per game average going into the contest.
It was no surprise, then, the opening 20 minutes were wide open with both teams scoring twice with the man advantage.
After giving up the opening goal 93 seconds in, Wright tied it at 6:51 slapping home a rebound off Soo goalie Michael Doan's right pad that came off the stick of JP Kascsak from the right circle.
Fernley scored his first of the night tipping a low Guimond point shot past Doan's left pad at 10:08 to give the Trappers their only lead of the night.
And it was brief.
Joel McCauley equalized just 48 seconds later and the Thunderbirds would go up 4-2, chasing Trappers starting goalie Matthieu Laberge. He was replaced by emergency backup Mitchell Knight, called into service from the midget team after Laszlo Tamasik was traded to Alliston earlier this week.
The Trappers would narrow the lead to one before the first intermission as Fernley struck again. He took a Guimond pass in the neutral zone, split through three Soo penalty killers, deked right and slid the puck through Doan's pads at 15:31. The game's third star was one of the bright spots for his coach.
"He played well, I thought him and Wright played well together, (and) JP, " said Swalucynski.
Then, up 5-3 in the second, the Thunderbirds took command with two more goals in a 28 second span straddling the 13 minute mark of the second, bringing Laberge back into the game to relieve Knight.
West made it 7-4 at 16:06 after banging a rebound into a wide open cage after Sacha Guimond was originally stopped after another of his hallmark individual rushes.
But a fateful bounce just 25 seconds later typified the Trappers night and seal the win, as a wide shot by Angelopolous came back off the end boards, hitting Laberge in the back and trickling across the goal line for his second of the night.
"To come out as the first star is a great feeling, but I couldn't have done it without the team," said Angelopolous. "We had a great game all in all together," he said.
"We have a lot of speed and big guys on our team so we kind of work around our cycling to the net. Obviously it worked out for us tonight."
The Thunderbirds added a power play marker at 1:49 and two more later on, while the Trappers failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 midway through the final period.
The Trappers, who actually outshot the Soo 37-36, fall to 7-9-and-1 and remain third in the NOJHL East. They next play Thursday at home to Temiscaming, who moved three points up on the Trappers after a 6-5 home ice shootout loss to division-leading Sudbury Friday night.
GAME NOTES:
All 18 Soo skaters did manage to make the scoresheet. Cody Zorzi, the only Thunderbird to not get a point, took a slashing penalty in the third period...Attendance was a team and league season-high 858...The three stars were Angelopolous, Fuller and Fernley...The Soo was 3-for-5 on the power play, the Trappers 2-for-7...The Trappers have lost five straight at home, and are 3-and-5 at Memorial Gardens on the season. Their last home ice win was September 26th, a 10-3 thrashing of Manitoulin.
