The Blind River Beavers made the most of their opportunities on special teams Sunday afternoon, skating away with a 3-1 victory over the Soo Eagles in a hard-fought contest.
Photos by Cassie Danuk | UntappedNorth.com
Blind River opened the scoring late in the first period when Caleb Walker buried his 16th goal of the season on the power play at 19:23, with helpers from Ilian Danilov and Ryder Hill. That marker stood as the lone goal through the first 40 minutes, as both teams battled through a physical and disciplined defensive game.
The Beavers struck again in the third, once more on the man advantage, when Austin Schultz found the back of the net at 16:24. Leighton Hurst and Ethan McLean picked up assists on what proved to be a crucial insurance goal.
Blind River added one more at 18:45, as Julien Loiselle scored his first of the season into the empty net, with James Lin and Schultz earning assists.
The Soo Eagles avoided the shutout in the final seconds, with Coulson Bell scoring at 19:41 off passes from CJ Zaharias and Liam Watson, but the late push was not enough to change the outcome.
A key difference in the game came on special teams, where Blind River converted twice on the power play while the Eagles struggled to stay out of the penalty box. Soo took several costly infractions throughout the afternoon, including a late first-period too many players penalty and a third-period cross-checking call that led directly to the Beavers’ second goal.
In goal, Justin Sullivan was stellar for Blind River, turning aside 35 of 36 shots in 59:42 of work to earn first star honours. Walker was named the game’s second star, while Schultz claimed third star after a strong two-point performance.
For UntappedNorth, the game also marked a special moment behind the lens, serving as the first photo showcase for photographer Cassie Danuk, whose work captured the energy and intensity of the night.
UntappedNorth.com covers grassroots and competitive sports across Northern Ontario.
UntappedNorth continues to work with young creators across Northern Ontario, giving emerging photographers and writers a platform to showcase their work while covering local sport.
Way to go cassie top of the line reading.