Waddick Hat Trick Powers Bears to 6-3 Win
The Owen Sound Attack earned a crucial two points on Wednesday night with a 6-3 win over the visiting Flint Firebirds. The Attack were paced by Declan Waddick who registered a hat trick with the go-ahead goal midway through the third. Pierce Mbuyi had a goal and an assist, while Landen Hookey had a goal and Tristan Delisle registered two helpers. Christopher Thibodeau, Sam McCue and Jeremy Martin had goals for the Firebirds.
The Attack had a statement opening period, dominating the play and the shot clock 12-7 and there strong play was rewarded with two first period goals. Recently recalled Michael Dec opened the scoring for the Bears just over three minutes in when he finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe play the touched the stick of ever member of the “Kid Line”, Zurawski to Mbuyi then to Dec who went forehand to backhand then slid it past Day to make it 1-0. The Attack would extend their lead late in the period when James Petrovski picked up the rebound off a Waddick shot and then quickly found Waddick who had slipped over to the wing for the one-timer, which he buried past Nathan Day to make it 2-0 for the Attack.
As expected the Firebirds pushed back in the middle frame scoring three unanswered goals off Attack turnover to take the lead, bofore the Attack evened it up before the break. Thibodeau got the Firebirds on the board when Mbuyi wasn’t able to get the puck deep at the offensive blue line, which Matthew Mania turned up ice quickly to Thibodeau who fired it from the face-off dot beating George to cut the Attack lead in half. Just four minutes later, Jimmy Lombardi stripped the puck from Cole Zurawski at the Attack blue line which created a 2-on-1. Lombardi then slid the puck over an outstretched Petrovski to McCue who went over the blocker of George to tie the game. Just over four minutes later the Firebirds struck again when the Bears got caught pinching in leaving Alec Leonard in a footrace with Jeremy Martin. Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort Martin was able to get position on Leonard and a solid shot off beating George to make it 3-2 Firebirds and silencing a sold out Bayshore crowd. That silence did not last long as Waddick sent the Bayshore crowd into a frenzy again after picking up a lose puck in the defensive end and going on a 1-on-2 rush up the ice while short handed. Waddick cut to the middle of the ice using Urban Podrekar as a screen before firing it high glove to beat Day for his second of the game and to even the score at 3.
The middle period also featured two save of the night candidates, one from Day in the middle of the period and one from George with just nine seconds left in the period. Day swept a lose puck off the goal line avoiding what would have been the go ahead marker at the time, while George made a huge outstretched save and closed his pads to make sure no-one could poke the loose puck over the line.
After a tough battle of a game, the Bayshore fans were not sure what to expect come the third, but the Attack made sure to use the momentum of Waddick’s tying goal to propel them to a solid third period. It was Waddick again who was Johnny on the spot picking up the loose puck after a big knee-on-knee collision in the neutral zone between Josh Colosimo and Bruce McDonald, that left McDonald on the ice. Waddick’s quick reaction allowed the Attack create a 2-on-1. Waddick’s cross ice pass attempt to Jake Crawford found the foot of a Firebirds defender and deflecting into the wide open net, giving Waddick a hat trick and the Attack a 4-3 lead. Only a minute later, Mbuyi would light the lamp, but not before Hookey made a smart play at the blue line to keep the puck in and slide it down to Delisle who saw Mbuyi breaking for the net and slid his pass behind the Firebird defenders feet for Mbuyi to skate right into. Mbuyi grabbed the puck and went forehand, backhand sliding past an outstretch Nathan Day to extend the Attack lead to 5-3. Hookey put the game on ice three minutes later when after winning a puck battle behind the net he snuck to the front of the net where he waited for the pass from Delisle who found him wide open. Hookey made no mistake beating Day low blocker to make it 6-3 for the Attack.
With the two crucial points tonight, the Attack have leapfrogged the SOO Greyhounds for 8th position in the Western Conference and thanks to a Sarnia Sting loss sit just one point back of the Sting for 7th place. Pierce Mbuyi’s goal and assist tonight moved him within one point of Joey Hishon and Colby Barlow for Most Points by a 16-Year-Old in Franchise History and with 4 goals of Barlow for Most Goals by a 16-Year-Old in Franchise History.
The Attack will continue their playoff push on Friday night with a visit to the Sleeman Centre to take on the Guelph Storm. Game time is set for 7:07pm and can be seen on Rogers Television Georgian Bay (Channel 53), streamed on CHLtv or heard on 560CFOS Bear Radio. The Bears will then return home on Saturday night to take on the Kitchener Rangers at 7pm. Tickets for Saturdays games are extremely limited with only single tickets and standing room available. These tickets as well as tickets for the final regular season home game on March 22 can be purchased at the MacVicar & McComb Sutton Realty Attack Box Office, over the phone at 519-371-7452 or online 24/7 at tickets.attackhockey.com.
