SAULT STE. MARIE – The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners skated to their second consecutive tie game in as many nights Saturday as they battled to a 3-3 double overtime draw in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action vs. the Soo Thunderbirds at the John Rhodes Community Centre.
Sault Ste. Marie got off to a great start in this one grabbing an early 2-0 lead on tallies by affiliate Matthew MacKay and forward Matt Pinder, who extended a consecutive game point streak to six with his marker.
Kirkland Lake used special teams to get on the board with 7:58 to go in the opening stanza as Jeremy Picard-Fiset connected on the power play for the Gold Miners.
The visitors drew even 8:26 into the second as Zach Pease’s attempt eluded Thunderbirds’ starter Brian Kment.
Anthony Miller’s 17th of the season put the T-Birds back on top in the latter stages of the frame.
In the third Kirkland Lake scored the final goal of the evening thanks to Luc Soares finding the back of the net with 7:03 left in regulation.
Both teams could not capitalize in either of the two five-minute OT sessions as the game saw the third tie of the campaign in league play come to an end.
Shots on goal favoured the Thunderbirds 33-30 with Kment of the Soo and Josh Erickson of the Gold Miners backstopping their respective clubs to one point each in the battle between the top two sides in the overall league standings.
