Battalion take down 67’s in preseason showdown

In their second meeting of the preseason, the North Bay Battalion equaled the series at a game apiece with a 4-0 win, sending 3,201 Barber Poles fans home ready for the regular season next Friday night. 

The first 18 minutes of the opening frame provided those in attendance inside The Arena at TD Place a fast-paced start, with chances traded at both ends of the rink, but Ian Michelone and Charlie Larocque kept the scoresheet clean. 

In the final two minutes, however, the Battalion found their footing, scoring the game’s first marker on a nifty backhand snipe off the stick of Ukrainian import, Iggy Pazii. They extended their advantage with Stephan Chukharev slamming home a rebound, sending the Troops to the locker room with a two-goal lead.  

Once again, it took a while in the second period for the offences to gain traction, but when they did, it was the Battalion again making the most of their opportunities, with Jacob Therrien wiring a shot over the shoulder of Jaeden Nelson. 

In the final frame, the Battalion only piled on, getting a goal from Reyth Smith midway through the period, giving them a four-goal lead they would sit on until the final buzzer. 

Box score 

First period 

1-0: NB #13 Ihnat Pazii (1) scores. Assists: #19 Nolan Laird, #7 Brayden Turley 

2-0: #23 Stepan Chukharev (1) scores. Assists: #16 Owen Van Steensel, #6 Jacob Therrien 

Second period

3-0: NB #6 Jacob Therrien (1) scores. Assists: #2 Wyatt Kennedy 

Third period 

4-0: NB #20 Reyth Smith (1) scores. 

Next up 

The Barber Poles are right back to it on Saturday night, jumping on the bus for the short ride to Cornwall, where they’ll host the Kingston Frontenacs in their final preseason game.