SUDBURY, Ont. – Goals from five different skaters and a solid shutout performance from netminder Ryan Gilmore propelled the Soo Eagles to a 5-0 win over the Greater Sudbury Cubs Tuesday in Game 4 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division series at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
The result gives the Eagles a three-one lead in their best-of-seven set and they’ll have a chance to close it out Wednesday, on home ice, as the two sides meet at Pullar Stadium, in a 7 p.m. start.
Picking up the night’s initial tally, Sault Ste. Marie saw Sam Holy make a lengthy outlet pass up to Chase Tallaire, who skated into the Greater Sudbury zone, along the right wing boards, before cutting to the middle and sliding a backhand through the legs of Cubs’ netminder Joel Rainville at 3:55.
Extending their lead eight and a half minutes into the middle stanza, the Eagles had multiple chances following a Holy shot from the left point, that was eventually lifted in by Seth Ferguson, who put one high over Rainville’s glove.
The Soo then tacked on a third goal on the night, in the final moments of the second, as Trevor Davis lofted a rising puck from up high that knuckled its way through a screen and fluttered into the back of the net at 19:55.
Helping secure the road victory, the Eagles added their fourth of the evening, early in the third, with defenceman Coby Fox jumping in on a two-on-one where he took a feed from teammate Jack Mortson before pulling up in the slot and ripping one into the right corner.
The Cubs got their goalie out for an extra attacker in the late going, in an effort to generate some offense, but the Soo sealed the win as Colin Handy sent a backhander into the empty net at 17:55 to wrap things up.
NOJHL West Division semifinalS
Soo Eagles vs. Greater Sudbury Cubs
Soo leads best-of-seven series 3-1
Game 1: Eagles 5 Cubs 4 (OT)
Game 2: Eagles 4 Cubs 3
Game 3: Cubs 4 Eagles 2
Game 4: Eagles 5 Cubs 0
Game 5: Wednesday, April 13 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 6*: Friday, April 15 @ Greater Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 7*: Saturday, April 16 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
*-if necessary
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