Defenseman Spencer Horgan netted a goal and added three assists as the Greater Sudbury Cubs grabbed a stranglehold 3-0 lead in their best of seven NOJHL semi-final series with the Soo Thunderbirds, doubling the homeside 6-3 on Tuesday afternoon.

Lucas Signoretti, Lucas Antonioni, Mason Walker, Nolan Newton and call-up Brock Chitaroni rounded out the scoring for the defending league champs, with Karsen Chartier returning from illness to pick up his 6th win of the post-season in net for Sudbury.

James Legler scored twice for the Thunderbirds, with Deven Jones-McDonald adding a solo tally against his former team as Sault Ste Marie trailed 2-1 after the first and 4-3 after the second, outshot 33-24 in the encounter.

Noah Metivier surrendered five goals in net for the T-Birds with the Horgan strike sliding into an empty net.

Game four is set for Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Soo, with game five, if necessary, returning to Sudbury on Thursday.

The remaining semi-final affair would see the visiting Hearst Lumberjacks scored twice in the final 3:18, slipping past the Timmins Rock by a final score of 4-3 and increasing their lead in their series to three games to one.