Attack Earn 3-1 Win & Move 2 Points Closer to a Playoff Berth
The Owen Sound Attack came into the Sadlon Arena in need of two points to continue their playoff push and accomplished their goal taking home a 3-1 regulation win on the back of a solid team effort and a 42 save performance by Carter George. Cole Zurawski opened the scoring in the first, while Kashawn Aitcheson evened it up early in the 3rd, before Bruce McDonald and Ben Cormier put the game away for a 3-1 win. Sam Hillebrandt made 41 saves in the loss.
The Attack played a solid opening road period in Barrie on Thursday night, keeping most of the play in the Colts ends despite having to kill off two penalties. The Attack opened the scoring just before the second timeout of the first period when Cole Zurawski recovered the puck in the corner then made a strong move to the front of the net, getting himself in a shooting position, before lifting the puck past Sam Hillebrandt to make it 1-0 Attack in front of many family and friends. The Attack continued to push but could not increase their lead before the break.
The Colts pushed back in the middle frame, evening up a lopsided shot total by the end of the period. The Attack continued to play well, despite the quality opportunities Barrie was creating. Carter George continued to be solid in net holding his ground and the Attack 1-0 lead into the second break.
Barrie evened up the score just over a minute into the third period when Kashawn Aitcheson was left open in the high slot and he buried it high glove. There were some shaky moments for Attack fans in the third period but Carter Goerge continued to do Carter George things making several highlight reel saves to keep the score tied at 1. The Attack retook the lead with under four minutes to play, when two Colts players collided at the Attack blue line that sprung Declan Waddick up the wing. McDonald quickly broke up the far boards giving Waddick the opportunity to slide the puck across the ice where McDonald made no mistake beating an outstretched Hillebrandt to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. Two minutes later after a flurry of action in the Attack end, Cormier quickly grabbed a loose puck in-front of the Attack net and fired it down the ice into the empty Colts net to cement a 3-1 win for the Attack.
With tonights win the Attack now move within one point of the Greyhounds for 7th place and two points up on the Sting for 8th in the Western Conference with all teams having two games to play in the regular season. The Attack will now head to the Kitchener on Friday night to take on the Rangers for the third time in three weeks. Game time is 7pm and the game can be seen on Rogers Television Georgian Bay Channel 53, streamed on CHLtv or heard live on 560 CFOS Bear Radio.
