Busby Coming Through

By Matt Stefano

For the third consecutive week, the Soo Thunderbirds came in as the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s top team and on Wednesday night they began the month of February at the Essar Centre against the Blind River Beavers.

After leading the Beavers 2-0 after one and 3-2 after the second, the Thunderbirds scored four goals in the third period to defeat the Beavers 7-2.

“I thought we just stuck to the game plan,” said T-Birds defenceman Matt Busby, who led they way with five points night including a pair of goals and three helpers. “Smitty has been preaching at us to work hard in every game and we came out and did that in the third period.”

Busby’s two goal game on Wednesday night had also marked his first career Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League multi goal game.

“It feels pretty good,” said the Shanty Bay, Ontario native. “I was just putting pucks on the net and they happened to go in.”

T-Bird forwards Joey Miller and Adam McPhail had a goal and an assist each while Izaak Del Mastro also had a multi point night with a pair of assists. Matt Caruso, Caleb Boman and Drake Pilon had the other goals for the Soo while single assists went to Jaren Bellini, Ryan Mulligan, Matt Mitchell, Khadyn Butterfly and Nathan Hebert.

Jason Uhl and Matt Murray had the goals for the Beavers while single assists went Ted Davis, Troy Murray and Joseph Eben.

Beavers goalie Martin Miloslavich gave up 7 goals on 44 shots while Brandon Gordon made 14 saves for the T-Birds win.

The T-Birds will now hit the road for one game on Friday, February 5th at 7:00 p.m. in Espanola.

NOTE: With Matt Busby passing the 10 goal plateau on Wednesday night along with Caleb Boman, who scored his 13th, Busby and Boman have become the first two Soo Thunderbird defencemen to have 10 or more goals in a the same season since Corey Jackson and Brad Pascall both did back in 2011-2012.

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