Cubs drop Eagles for 3-0 series lead

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Greater Sudbury Cubs broke open a tie game with three unanswered tallies to defeat the Soo Eagles 6-3 Monday in the third game of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal at Pullar Stadium.

With the outcome, Greater Sudbury takes a three games to none lead in the best-of-seven set and will have a chance to close it out Tuesday when Game 4 goes back at Pullar Stadium at 7 p.m. and on FLOHockey.tv.

Striking first for a third straight game in the series, the Eagles clicked on the night’s initial man advantage opportunity as Anden Marceau settled down a loose puck off a Samuel Gold attempt from the corner that rang off the post and whipped it by Cubs’ starter Iain Wintle at 13:58 off the opening frame.

Tying it up with a power play marker of their own, coming nine minutes into the second period, Greater Sudbury’s Owen King darted down the right side with speed and wired a shot past Sault Ste. Marie netminder Jace Knoerle.

Nolan Nemecek then put the Soo back in front at 12:59 when he knocked down a clearing attempt, then after a shot he put to the target, snagged his own rebound, and put it upstairs on Wintle.

The visitors came back with another tying effort a couple of shifts later when their captain Daks Klinkhammer zipped in a one-timer after being teed up in the right circle by Spencer Horgan.

Up a skater to begin the third, the Cubs capitalized 49 seconds in when Mason Walker sent one in from distance, through traffic, to give him points in seven straight outings.

Matching that, the Eagles drew level thanks to Coulson Bell, who spun in the slot and sent a shot past Wintle.

Taking control from there though, Greater Sudbury banged in two goals in rapid succession midway through the session to help secure the road victory.

After Alex Valade made it 4-3 when he pinched in from the point and snapped a shot past the outstretched glove of Knoerle, Kaedyn Long connected 80 seconds later by finishing off the leftovers of a Nate Lazarus attempt from inside the blueline.

Klinkhammer then capped it off with an empty netter in the late going to round out the scoring.

NOJHL semifinal

No. 1 Greater Sudbury Cubs vs. No. 7 Soo Eagles

Game 1:Cubs 5, Eagles 1
Game 2:Cubs 9, Eagles 6
Game 3: Cubs 6, Eagles 3
Game 4: Tuesday, April 7 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 5*: Thursday, April 9 @ Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 6*: Saturday, April 11 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 7*: Tuesday, April 14 @ Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
*-if necessary

Greater Sudbury leads best-of-seven series 3-0