A nice deflection marker by Sutton Majeske on the power play midway through the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Soo Eagles held off the Elliot Lake Vikings 5-4 Sunday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at Pullar Stadium.
It was a nice bounce-back win after Saturday's home loss to Blind River.
Sault Ste. Marie soared to a 3-0 lead after one period to take early control.
Zach Sweitzer began the Eagles’ outburst two minutes into the match-up as he picked off a pass in the neutral zone then skated in and sizzled a shot from the left circle past Viking netminder Sam Keene.
The Soo went up by a pair after Gabriel Fisher’s long up-ice feed helped Tyler Fortson get past an Elliot Lake defender and eventually send one on target that leaked through Keene.
A third in the session saw the Soo convert moments into a man advantage with Easton Pratt converting as he pumped one by Keene from the left circle.
The Vikings got one back, six minutes into the second stanza, thanks to Gavin McLenaghan as he scooped up a loose puck off the skate of an Eagles’ defenceman then dashed down the ice and buried his chance with a sharp snap shot that flew by Soo starter Anthony Zolezzi.
Getting that back at 12:04, Fortson notched his second of the afternoon by deking to his right and sending a backhand that Keene could only get a piece of before it trickled across the goal line.
Pulling to within two before the intermission, Elliot Lake’s Ryan Daponte spun around off a face-off and fired one by Zolezzi at 18:56.
In the third, the Vikings made it 4-3 after Max Ciesielski connected from between the hash marks after some diligent work along the end boards by Anthony Bertrand.
Majeske then got the eventual game-winner as he redirected a Coby Fox attempt from the point with 9:13 remaining in regulation.
Still battling, the Vikings broke out on a two-on-one and saw Gabriel Monseau send a sharp angle attempt to the net from the right side that was tipped in by Connor Desbois to make it a one-goal game with just under six and a half minutes to play.
Holding on from there, the Eagles persevered to pick up the win.
The outcome helps the Soo move to 17-6-0-1. As of this writing the Soo sat in second place overall, one point behind Sudbury.
– With files from NOJHL Media Network
