COCHRANE, Ont. – Soo Thunderbirds goaltender Zachary Reddy handled everything fired his way Saturday to register his initial Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League shutout as part of a 4-0 triumph over the Cochrane Crunch at Tim Horton Events Centre.
The visiting Thunderbirds got going offensively on the night as Anton Petrovskiy neatly knocked down a James Kearney left point shot as his deflection changed direction and got past Cochrane netminder Jake Dubinsky for his first NOJHL tally.
Staying 1-0 Sault Ste. Marie into the next session, the two sides battled back and forth through a scoreless middle frame as it remained a low-scoring affair through 40 minutes.
Picking up an early power play in the third, the Thunderbirds extended their lead off a face off that eventually saw Ethan Raduy shovel in a backhand on Dubinsky at the top of the crease.
Tacking on some insurance at 4:35, the Soo went up by three thanks to Michael Chaffay converting with rising wrist shot from the top of the left circle that the Crunch goalkeeper could only get a piece of, after a deflection, before it trickled across the goal line.
Putting it out of reach midway through the stanza, Ryan Blackburn picked up his opening NOJHL marker and he corralled a bouncing puck off a Kearney shot, then spun in front and fired it in.
That would conclude the scoring on the night as the Thunderbirds skated away with the road decision.
