Birds fly into top spot
Fast skating power forward Cooper Smyl fired three goals today to spark the surging Soo Thunderbirds to a 7-2 triumph over the Blind River Beavers.
The road win for the Thunderbirds boosted their record to 7-3-1 and moved them into first place in the West Division of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, just ahead of the idle Espanola Express, which has a 5-4-3 mark.
Smyl, a 2002 birth year speedster who is on the radar of more than one Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association school, now has nine goals in 11 games for the Thunderbirds.
Parker Morgan, Ty Zachary and defensemen Cameron Dutkiewicz and Connor Toms also tallied for the T-Birds.
Sault Ste. Marie product Justin Mauro and Matt Cato replied for Blind River, which now has a 5-5-1 record on the season.
