Two on the road, one at home
The Owen Sound Attack will take to the road to kick off another week of action in the Ontario Hockey League.
A trip to Southwestern Ontario to take on the Windsor Spitfires on Thursday, Jan. 7 and a stop in Sarnia to battle with the Sting on Friday night preclude the Attack’s lone home game of the week on Saturday.
Owen Sound enters the weekend with a record of 16-14-5-2, good for 39 points and 7th in the Western Conference.
Led for most of the season by Captain, Santino Centorame, the Attack’s in-house scoring leader is now overage forward Josh Sterk who has 29 points on the year, including six assists in the team’s last four games.
Despite falling out of top spot in team scoring, Centorame has maintained his position in the top 10 in scoring for defenceman across the OHL with his 25 points.
Thursday’s matchup with the West Division leading Spitfires is the 3rd of the year between the squads, with Owen Sound holding a perfect 2-0 record against Windsor.
When the puck drops at 7:05pm on Thursday night, Owen Sound will be looking to cut Windsor’s three game winning streak short while also snapping their own mini two game losing streak.
Windsor’s Christian Fischer leads the Spitfires in points on the year, having put up 18 goals and 27 assists in 36 games on the year. The Spits have also been bolstered by the play of recently acquired forward Brendan Lemieux. In eight games since being traded from Barrie to Windsor, Lemieux has recorded 11 goals and four assists.
The Attack will then travel north up Highway 40 from Windsor for their date with the the Sting on Friday night, a game that is also a 7:05pm start.
Sarnia, who sits just behind Windsor in the West Division, has won both of the meetings with Owen Sound this year, including a 1-0 thriller at the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre on Nov. 20.
The Sting are powered by former Oshawa General and Memorial Cup champion Matt Mistele, who has 32 points on the year.
Sarnia’s 43 points through 35 games has them just four points ahead of the Attack in the Western Conference playoff race.
Owen Sound will then wrap up their three games in three nights when they take on the Kingston Frontenacs at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre on Saturday, Jan. 9.
With puck drop slated for 7:30pm, the Attack will look to down the Eastern Conference leading Fronts in the first of just two meetings between the sides on the year.
Kingston, who takes on Oshawa before facing off against Owen Sound on Saturday, sits at 49 points on the year as of Wednesday, Jan. 6.
Having recently acquired Michael Dal Colle, Kingston boasts a lineup that includes Canadian World Junior members Roland McKeown and Lawson Crouse, as well as Juho Lammikko, a member of Team Finland’s gold medal winning squad at the 2016 IIHF U20 championships.
Owen Sound will also have their own World Junior medalist returning to action this week. Damir Sharipzyanov is expected to return to the lineup after patrolling the blue line as a member of Team Russia’s silver-medal winning squad.
Fans can watch the Attack’s road games live on Rogers Local 53 on Thursday and Friday night, while also listening to them on Kia of Owen Sound Terry’s Trailer Service Bear Radio on 560 CFOS.
Tickets of Saturday’s tilt with the Frontenacs are available at the DJ’s Furniture Attack Box Office, online at www.attackhockey.com, or by calling 519-371-7452.
The Weekend Preview is presented by Joe Tomato’s, located next to the Galaxy Cinemas on the Sunset Strip. For half off wings and appetizers, bring your ticket stub to Joe Tomato’s following every Attack Home Game.
This season of Attack Hockey is brought to you by Caframo.
