Attack beat Sting in style
The Owen Sound Attack scored seven unanswered goals to beat the Sarnia Sting 8-5 on Friday, Feb. 20.
Trailing 5-1 in the 2nd period, the Attack never gave up and pocketed six goals in the game’s final 20 minutes to win their 3rd straight game.
Holden Cook and Daniel Milne each had a pair of goals, while Santino Centorame added four assists in what was a crazy comeback for the Attack.
The game began with some sloppy hockey by both squads, with neither team able to generate any chances early.
A powerplay opportunity for the Attack just over five minutes into the game proved fruitless, but a man advantage shortly after for the home team would see the game’s opening goal.
With 9:58 gone in the first period Nikita Korostelev was able to tuck home a rebound after Michael McNiven stopped the initial shot from the point, giving Sarnia a 1-0 lead.
The Attack wouldn’t wait long to respond though, and it was Daniel Milne scoring his 2nd in as many nights on an upcoming delayed penalty to Sarnia’s Jakob Chychrun.
Milne took a pass from Erik Bradford and made no mistake, firing a wristshot by Sting netminder Taylor Dupuis with 12:43 gone in the frame.
Sarnia would restore that one goal advantage before the end of the period though.
With under one minute to play in the 1st period, Chychrun beat McNiven five hole while the Attack were once again on a Paul Davis Systems Penalty Kill.
Sarnia would take their 2-1 advantage into the 2nd period but it became a 4-1 lead before long.
The Sting scored twice in a span of 12 seconds with just over three minutes gone in the 2nd to turn what was a one goal lead into a three goal cushion.
Owen Sound seemed to compose themselves momentarily as play went back and forth, but the Sting added onto their lead at the 8:53 mark of the period when Hayden Hodgson scored.
Sarnia’s 5th goal would mark the end of the night for McNiven, as Jack Flinn came on in relief at the 2nd period tv timeout.
The remainder of the 2nd period would be played mostly in the neutral zone until a burst of late pressure by the Attack.
Owen Sound was able to use that pressure to cut into Sarnia’s lead with Daniel Milne scoring his 2nd of the game on a weird bounce.
With just 45 seconds left in the stanza, Milne tossed a puck on goal and banked it into the net off of a Sarnia defender’s skate to make it 5-2 heading into the 3rd period.
Owen Sound would continue to press at the beginning of the 3rd period, and just 1:04 into the frame Zach Nastasiuk was able to sneak home a backhand goal to make it a 5-3 game.
Nastasiuk’s goal, which was a powerplay marker, came on helpers from Santino Centorame and Chris Bigras.
Another powerplay goal would bring Owen Sound within one with over half of the 3rd period remaining.
This time it was Erik Bradford making the Sting pay, as the overage forward went top shelf after receiving a pass from Centorame in the high slot. Bigras also assisted on the goal that made it 5-4 with just 6:07 gone in the final frame.
And then it would be Ethan Szypula who completed the comeback, one-timing home a pass from Jonah Gadjovich with 10:37 to play in the game. Santino Centorame picked up his 3rd assist of the period on the game tying goal.
The Attack pushed hard as time winded down, and their relentless 3rd period was rewarded.
Holden Cook perfectly one timed home a pass from Erik Bradford at the 16:40 mark of the 3rd to give them a 6-5 lead after trailing 5-1 in the 2nd period. Centorame picked up his 4th straight assist on the goal.
Cook would then put a backhander into the empty net with under a minute to play before Kyle Platzer scored the game’s final tally, making it 8-5 with 20 seconds left in the game.
Jack Flinn would be perfect in relief as he and Michael McNiven combined to make 25 saves on 30 shots as the Mark McDade Remax Shots on Goal finished at 32-30 for the Attack.
Sarnia forward Daniel Nikandrov was named the Mac Taylor Corporation’s 1st Star of the Game with one goal and two assists. Santino Centorame’s three assists earned him 2nd star while Daniel Milne picked up 3rd star thanks to his two goals.
The Attack will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 21 when they host the Guelph Storm on Saugeen Golf Course night.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm, and tickets can be purchased at the DJ’s Furniture Attack Box Office.
Fans in attendance will have the chance to bid on brunch with their favourite Attack player at Shorty’s Classic Grill on Sunday, Feb. 22 as part of the Eat Your Heart Out benefit for Heart and Stroke.
This season of Attack Hockey is brought to you by Caframo.
