Attack open 2nd half with win
The Owen Sound Attack started the 2nd half of the 2016-17 Ontario Hockey League season the same way they ended the first; with a win.
A pair of goals by Jonah Gadjovich and a rather unheralded shutout by Attack netminder Michael McNiven would propel the Attack to their a 3-0 victory, a 5th straight win, and give them a three point edge on the Kitchener Rangers for 5th in the Western Conference.
McNiven, who saw his first action for the Attack after a trip to Team Canada’s World Junior Championship training camp, turned aside 23 shots on the night to pick up the victory for Owen Sound. While most of North Bay’s attempts on the night were low quality shots, the Montreal Canadiens prospect made a handful of highlight reel saves to pick up his 2nd shutout of the season.
The Attack and Battalion got off to a typically sluggish post-Christmas start, but that didn’t stop Owen Sound from tilting the tide in their favour early.
Just past the midway mark of the 1st, the Bayshore Boys had already doubled up the visiting Troops in the shot department, and an extended visit in the North Bay zone would proof fruitful for the Attack.
After a loose puck was dug off of the sidewall by Kevin Hancock and fired over to Sean Durzi’s stick, the offensive defenceman would fire a shot on net that Jonah Gadjovich was able to redirect into the back of the cage for a 1-0 lead.
Gadjovich’s 15th of the season occurred at the 12:42 mark of the period, and would be the only tally of the opening 20:00 of play, a period that saw the Attack lead the Battalion 19-8 when it came to shots on goal.
The 2nd period began similarly to the 1st, but it took less time for the Attack to find their sea legs and with 7:14 gone in the stanza, Jonah Gadjovich would find the back of the net for his 2nd goal of the game.
North Bay netminder Julian Sime would set up the goal when he wandered out of his goal to play the puck, allowing a strong forecheck by Nick Suzuki and Kevin Hancock to force a turnover that Suzuki deftly put on the stick of an unchecked Gadjovich low in the slot.
He would make no mistake on his 16th of the year and the Attack would find themselves with a 2-0 lead.
The home side would spend the remainder of the frame doing their best to increase that lead, and despite the furious pressure of Hancock, Suzuki, and Gadjovich, the Attack would be unable to solve Sime again before the period came to an end.
Early in the 3rd period, the Attack seemed destined to increase their lead after a Max Kislinger hit from behind on Kevin Hancock saw the Battalion forward ejected from the game. However a two minute penalty for roughing on Trent Bourque would negate the first two minutes of the powerplay and Owen Sound would fail to score on the man advantage, taking the teams to the 10:00 mark with the Attack nursing their two goal lead.
That’s how things would stand until Ethan Szypula iced the game by launching a centre ice shot into the empty net with 21 seconds left on the clock, securing a 3-0 victory for the Attack. Santino Centorame would draw the lone assist on the play, which was Szypula’s 4th goal of the year.
Attack forward Jonah Gadjovich was named the Mac Taylor Corporation 1st Star of the Game for his two goal effort while Michael McNiven was named the game’s 2nd star thanks to his 23 save shutout. North Bay netminder Julian Sime was rewarded for his solid 42 save performance in the loss by being named the game’s 3rd star, while Sean Durzi rounded out the post game awards with the Hatten Home Building Centre Hardest Working Player of the Game award.
The Attack are back in action on Friday night when they travel to Kitchener for a 7:30pm match up with the Rangers.
Owen Sound will then return home to face off against the Barrie Colts in a New Year’s Day tilt on Sunday, Jan. 1.
Tickets for that game and all remaining Attack home games can be purchased at the MacVicar & McComb ReMax Box Office, online at www.attackhockey.com, or by calling 519-371-7452.
