Attack take down Storm in Guelph
The Owen Sound Attack can continue dreaming about home ice advantage in the playoffs.
A thrilling 4-3 victory over the Guelph on Friday, Mar. 20 prevented the Storm from earning the single point they needed to clinch 4th place in the Western Conference, while it kept the Attack three points abreast of the Kitchener Rangers who also won on Friday.
Owen Sound’s trio of overagers each contributed a goal on the evening with Holden Cook notching the game winner late in the 3rd period.
Both teams entered the game knowing the importance of the available two points, but it appeared that the Attack were the hungrier team upon the drop of the puck.
A hard forecheck by the all-overage line of Holden Cook, Daniel Milne, and Erik Bradford saw Milne score his 20th goal of the year just 17 seconds into the game.
Milne’s goal saw him bang home a loose puck while diving through the crease, and came on assists from both of his linemates.
The Storm quickly responded, with Pius Suter snapping home a shot before five minutes had experied in the game and goals were coming fast and furious in the early going.
Erik Bradford restored the one goal Owen Sound lead less than 40 seconds after the Storm marker, wriring home a shot on the Baywest Nissan Powerplay.
Bradford’s second point of the game, which game at the 5:18 mark, came on assists from Kyle Platzer and Thomas Schemitsch.
Neither team would be able to find the net again in the first period, but the entertainment didn’t die down.
Every inch of ice was earned the hard way in the opening 20 minutes, with a number of big hits on both sides and scrums after each whistle.
The physical play carreid over from the 1st period into the 2nd, but the scoring seemingly did not.
Despite a number of chances at both ends of the rink, the next goal didn’t come until almost halfway through the stanza.
When a breakthrough did come, it was Guelph’s Jason Dickinson who found the back of the net at the 9:45 mark of the 2nd period, tying the game 2-2.
The Storm then jumped out to a 3-2 lead on a goal thanks to Givani Smith, this one coming with 8:40 left to play in the frame.
Owen Sound would tie the game up at three apiece before the 2nd intermission, and it was thanks to a highlight reel goal from Kyle Platzer.
Platzer’s goal, his 80th point of the year, came after he sidestepped two Storm defenders and outwaited Guelph goalie Justin Nichols with just 1:35 left in the 2nd period. Petrus Palmu and Damir Sharipzyanov assisted on the goal that took the teams to the break with a decisive final period looming.
When the 3rd period commenced the Midwest Division rivals really upped the intensity with some tight checking hockey.
The commitment to defence by both sides saw time wind down without a real premium scoring chance for either side, but when one finally erupted it found the back of the net.
With 5:31 left in the contest Holden Cook scored his 15th of the year with a snipe over the glove of Justin Nichols after taking a pass from Justin Brack.
Cook’s goal would be the eventual game winner as the Attack weathered a late Guelph push to take the game by a score of 4-3.
Jack Flinn was huge in the Attack net, turning aside 33 of 36 shots on the night as the Mark McDade Remax Shots on Goal finished at 36-35 for the Storm.
Holden Cook was named the Mac Taylor Corporation 1st Star of the Game with his two point evening while Kyle Platzer picked up 3rd Star honours for the same output.
Guelph’s Givani Smith was named the game’s 2nd star
The Attack will return home on Saturday, Mar. 21 to close out the regular season with a game against the Sarnia Sting.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm and tickets, which are down to standing room only, can be purchased at the DJ’s Furniture Attack Box Office.
With Saturday’s attendance expected to exceed 3000, the Attack will have had over 100,000 fans in attendnace at home games in the 2014-2015 season. This will be the 3rd straight in season in which the Attack have reached that mark.
This season of Attack Hockey is brought to you by Caframo.
