Ice Dogs Get Bt Attack
The Niagara Ice Dogs made their only regular season visit to Owen Sound Wednesday night. The Dogs came to town with arguably their top four players out of the line-up. Goaltender Mark Visentin, defenceman Dougie Hamilton and forwards Freddie Hamilton and Ryan Strome were all off helping Team Canada to a 2-0 record at the World Juniors.
A big Christmas break crowd of 3226 was on hand. Ready to support their OHL Champion Attack.
Scott Stajcer got the start in the Attack net. Christopher Festarini for the Ice Dogs.
The last game before Christmas break and the first after can be difficult. Players just want to get the last game over and go home for Christmas and the first back, may not be ready to play at the level needed. Playing at home before the break, our Attack put on a great show defeating the Kitchener Rangers. Back against the depleted Ice Dogs, they simply did not look as sharp as they needed to be.
Period one was a kind of “feeling each other out” game. Like the first time you play an unknown opponent. Attack Head Coach Greg Ireland most surely wanted his hockey club to take it to the Ice Dogs. Niagara Head Coach Marty Williamson most surely was interested in seeing what his boys were ready and willing to bring to the table. It was a lackluster period, but if either team did, the Dogs brought it. Yet by the end of the scoreless period, shots on net were even at 7-7.
Period two was a much higher paced game. Once again the Dogs were bringing it. Around the 8:15 mark, Scotty Stajcer brought his fans to their feet with 3 bang-bang-bang saves to keep the game scoreless. The last one, the left leg save, did it. A couple of minutes later, with the teams playing four-on-four, the Dogs failed to clear their own zone after winning the face-off and Attack Captain Mike Halmo ended up backhanding his 21st of the season from the slot area at 9:47. Daniel Catenacci and Geoffrey Schemitsch assisted. Period two closed 1-0 Attack, but there was a bad feeling amongst Attack fans. The Ice Dogs had outshot the Attack – 16-10 that period – and one could just feel that Coach Williamson was going to make sure his players knew they had our Attack just where they wanted them. A one goal game with 20 minutes to play.
Sure enough, the Ice Dogs started the third looking like they knew they had a chance to win this game. A checking from behind penalty gave them the chance they needed and at 4:51 the game was tied. Andrew Agozzino’s wrist shot from the right face-off dot for his 19th of the season.
More Niagara forecheck pressure caused an Attack defender to make a poor decision and at 10:21, former Attacker, Myles Doan, finding the puck as he left the penalty box, fired the game winner from the same right side area for his 5th of the season.
As time wore down, it was clear that our Attack had nothing left. The Christmas break can’t go away fast enough. The Lumley Bayshore cleared out real fast. Our boys will now take their game to the road for three. Watching Captain Halmo meekly enter the ice to be acknowledged as the Kelsey’s Attacker of the Game told it all. Things will be different in Kitchener Friday night.
Final score Niagara 2 – Owen Sound 1. Final shots on net were 34-22 Ice Dogs.
The 3 Stars of the Game were:
1st Star – Andrew Agozzino.
2nd Star – Scott Stajcer with 32 saves.
3rd Star – Myles Doan.
The Dickie’s Clothing Hardest Working Attacker of the Game was Kurtis Gabriel.
The Kelsey’s Neighbourhood Bar and Grill Attacker of the Game was Mike Halmo.
The OHL Eastern Conference Brampton Battalion will be the Attack next home game opponent. The Battalion make their only regular season visit to Owen Sound Saturday, January 7th. Game time at the J.D. McArthur Arena is 7:30 p.m.
Previous to the Brampton home game, our Attack are in Kitchener December 30th with a game time of 7:30 p.m., Oshawa on New Years Days, with a game time of 2:05 p.m, and Niagara on January 6th with a game time of 7:00 p.m. All road games can be heard live on Grey Motors Bear Radio with Fred Wallace on AM 560 CFOS and watched live on Rogers TV local channel 53.
Don’t miss any of them !
The Attack box office is open Monday to riday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday game days 10:00 a.m. through to the end of the second intermission. Wednesday games 8:30 a.m. through to the end of the second intermission.
Phone orders at 371-7452 or toll free 1-866-5ATTACK.
Internet orders at www.attackhockey.com.
