Soo Greyhounds goalie does a little bit of everything, including score in Friday’s win

Soo Greyhounds goaltender Nolan Lalonde has scored a 'goalie goal' and had multiple shutouts after only joining the team this month. Ian Campbell has more.

Nolan Lalonde’s recent stretch with the Soo Greyhounds has certainly been a memorable few weeks.

Since being acquired in a trade with the Kingston Frontenacs ahead of the league trade deadline earlier this month, Lalonde has posted a pair of shutouts for the Sault and now has his first OHL goal.

The overage goalie scored Friday night as the Greyhounds beat the Flint Firebirds 5-3 at home at the GFL Memorial Gardens.

The goal came toward the end of the game when the veteran goaltender got the puck behind the Sault goal and shot it down the ice into an empty Flint net to help the Hounds secure their win.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Lalonde said in a post-game press conference.

“I’ve tried but never scored,” he added.

Lalonde said that he had tried to score three or four times in the past as an OHL goaltender.

The goalie goal was the first in franchise history the team said on social media following the game.

“Lalonde’s goalie goal on Friday marked the first such occurrence in Soo Greyhounds history and the 12th in the OHL,” the Greyhounds said.

“It also makes 2024-25 the first season in OHL history that has produced two goalie goals.”

Greyhounds head coach John Dean called being behind the bench for Lalonde’s goal “one of the coolest moments of my hockey career.”

“Brendan Taylor and I hi-fived and I felt like a little kid hi-fiving across the bench for a goalie goal,” he said.

“Then watching the sheer joy of Nolan’s teammates, I don’t know how to explain it.”

Lalonde said he has been able to “settle in” with the team and it has helped his recent play.

“I … just found a groove,” he said.

Lalonde has two shutouts, a goal and three wins in his last four starts with the Greyhounds.

“It’s nice to know my teammates believe in me. They have my back and I have theirs,” he said.

“It’s been a lot of fun.”

The whole game

The Hounds opened the scoring as Caeden Carlisle scored his first goal of the season on a shot from the slot that beat Flint goalie Nathan Day at 9:43 of the opening period.

Brady Martin then made it 2-0 as he took a pass from Travis Hayes before beating Day stick side on a partial break in the first minute of the second period.

The Soo expanded their lead to 3-0 lead at 8:46 in the second when rookie forward Carson Andrew followed up a rebound after Day stopped him initially on a chance near the side of the goal. Andrew then beat the Flint goalie on the rebound from the slot.

As the teams were playing 4-on-4 later in the second, Marco Mignosa made it a 4-0 game after taking a pass from Owen Allard in open ice to beat Day from the slot at 16:55.

Flint found the scoreboard in the third period as Sam McCue in the right faceoff circle beat Lalonde with a one-timer off a pass from Kaden Pitre making it 4-1 at 11:15.

The Firebirds then cut the lead to 4-2 as former Greyhound Alex Kostov beat Lalonde short side at 16:13 in the third before Lalonde would get the Greyhounds some additional insurance with his empty-net goal with 1:21 to go.

Flint capped off the scoring as Hayden Reid beat Lalonde from the right faceoff circle at 19:52.

Lalonde finished the night with 21 saves.

Watch More: CTV Northern Ontario has a look at Friday night’s OHL and NOJHL action in the region

With a 19-24-1-0 record, the Greyhounds pull to within one point of the Firebirds and Sarnia Sting for sixth in the OHL’s Western Conference.

The Greyhounds return to action on Sunday afternoon when they host the London Knights.