A three-goal effort from Alex Freund lifted the hometown Soo Eagles to a 5-2 triumph over the visiting Soo Thunderbirds in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Friday in front of over 900 spectators at Pullar Stadium in Michigan.
The Eagles struck first in the renewed meeting between the cross-border rivals when Freund forced a turnover at his own blue line then was sent in alone on a clear-cut breakaway and neatly sent a shot over the blocker of Thunderbirds’ goaltender Maverick Fletcher. Adding another later in the frame, Benjamin Pouliot cranked a blast from the right circle that clipped off the glove of the T-Birds’ netminder and saw Tyler Fortson bat in the puck out of mid-air at 14:34.
The Eagles struck quickly in the middle frame to go up by three as Jack Paweski raced in alone on Fletcher and wired one over the blocker. The Thunderbirds came back to click twice on the power play, in rapid succession, to get right back in it.
Jackson Truchan got the guests going as he ripped one top shelf from the right side over Anthony Zolezzi. Alex Remenda then converted for the T-Birds just over a minute later.
Regrouping, the Eagles went up by a pair midway through the third by converting on a man advantage marker that was supplied by Freund.
The hosts then sealed the victory in the late going when Freund snagged a turnover, skated in, and deposited it into an empty net for his first NOJHL hat trick.
With the victory, the Eagles improve to 16-5-0-1 so far this season while the Thunderbirds dropped to 13-5-2-1.
