SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Soo Eagles built up a three-goal lead then withstood a third period comeback bid by the rival Soo Thunderbirds to pull out a 4-3 victory Saturday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Pullar Stadium.
Fresh off a hat trick for the Thunderbirds in Friday’s triumph over the Eagles, Zach Senecal scored for a fourth straight outing as he put the visitors in front 36 seconds after the opening face-off.
Undaunted, the Eagles came right back on the next shift and notched the equalizer with Chris Murphy collecting his first of the season.
The Pullar Stadium faithful were rewarded with more offensive production from the home side before the frame was complete as William Casey and Brendan Schultz struck three and a half minutes apart to make it 3-1 after one.
The Eagles added another at 13:13 of the middle stanza when Murphy notched his second marker of the night to put them up by three.
A T-Birds power play allowed them to make it 4-2 eight and a half minutes into the third thanks to a Keegan Stevenson effort.
They then pulled to with one while shorthanded as defenceman Aaron Wesley-Chisel collected his first NOJHL goal with 2:21 to go.
However the Eagles tightened up defensively from there to earn their initial win of the season while handing the T-Birds their first loss of the campaign.
Bradley Hofelich dished out a pair of assists in the victory for the Eagles.
Justyn Gillis was stellar in net for the winners as he made 48 saves to register his first league triumph.
Brandon Gordon faced 31 shots in defeat for the Thunderbirds.
