Battalion rallies for victory
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Nick Wellenreiter scored the only goal of a shootout, lifting the North Bay Battalion to a comeback 4-3 victory Sunday over the Niagara IceDogs in an Ontario Hockey League game.
Wellenreiter and Lirim Amidovski netted third-period goals to erase a two-goal deficit for North Bay, which got its other goal from Kent Greer. Goaltender Mike McIvor provided 26 saves through overtime before 2,803.
The Battalion moved its won-lost-extended record to 18-25-3 for 39 points, fifth in the Central Division and ninth in the Eastern Conference. The East Division’s Ottawa 67’s stayed one point ahead of the Troops with a 4-3 win via shootout over the host Guelph Storm.
Sean Doherty, Jack Brauti and Ryan Roobroeck scored for Niagara. Goaltender Matthew Humphries, making his OHL debut, faced 41 shots through overtime. Owen Flores, who started the previous 12 games and has 40 appearances this season, backed up Humphries.
Niagara, which fell 7-6 in overtime Saturday night to the host Barrie Colts, is 27-15-6 for 60 points, second in the division and fifth in the conference. The IceDogs were without suspended captain Kevin He.
In the shootout, Wellenreiter scored before Humphries denied Jacob Therrien. McIvor thwarted Doherty, Mike Levin and Roobroeck for Niagara, which shot first.
Roobroeck scored his team-leading 34th goal of the season at 3:07 of the third period to give the IceDogs a 3-1 lead before Wellenreiter gathered the puck behind the goal line and tucked his seventh goal inside the right post at 9:32, assisted by Shamar Moses and Aaron Enright.
Amidovski precipitated overtime with his 11th goal at 11:58 on assists by Ihnat Pazii and Adrian Manzo, who combined to keep the puck inside the blue line at the left boards.
Greer opened the scoring at 6:08 of the second period, snapping the puck behind Humphries from between the hash marks after Zach Wigle and Andrew LeBlanc worked for it along the end boards. It was defenceman Greer’s fourth goal.
Doherty replied with his unassisted 11th goal 3:09 later off a rink-length rush. He moved off the left wing around Manzo and went to the forehand to beat McIvor from close range.
Brauti gave Niagara a 2-1 lead at 16:18 on a shot that rebounded quickly out of the net. Levin and Andrei Loshko assisted on defenceman Brauti’s seventh goal.
Humphries made a sterling stop in the fourth minute of the period, sprawling to his left to block a Wellenreiter threat with the catching glove.
The Battalion dominated play early in the first period, building a 10-1 lead in shots by the 10th minute, but Niagara rallied to make the final count for the frame 12-6.
Humphries kept the period scoreless, showing early form with a pointblank save against Nolan Laird in the fifth minute. Niagara’s Blair Scott left for repairs after being struck in the face by the puck at 18:15. He returned in the second period.
The Battalion plays host to the Soo Greyhounds at 7 p.m. Thursday in a game featuring CMHA Talk Today presented by Syngenta and The Grain Farmers of Ontario.
BATTALION BULLETS: On Hockey Day in the OHL presented by Cogeco, fans received Battalion hand towels, and Battalion Kids’ Club activities included an appearance by Grimace … It was the fourth of six season meetings, after Niagara won the first three. The IceDogs, who posted home-ice wins of 7-5 on Oct. 12 and 3-1 on Jan. 18, prevailed 7-3 at Memorial Gardens on Dec. 12. The teams next face off March 6 at North Bay … Each team went 0-for-1 on the power play … Opening line combinations saw Ethan Procyszyn centring left winger Moses and right winger Wellenreiter, Wigle centring left winger LeBlanc and right winger Parker Vaughan and Pazii pivoting left winger Amidovski and right winger Therrien. Laird centred left winger Reyth Smith and right winger Ryder Carey … Defence pairings had Bronson Ride with Jacob LeBlanc, Enright with Greer and Zach Wilson with Manzo … The Battalion scratched Brayden Turley, Briir Long and Stepan Chukharev … Among the missing for Niagara were Alex Assadourian and Mathieu Paris … He, who completed a three-game suspension issued after a 3-2 road loss via shootout to the Erie Otters on Jan. 24, has 26 goals and 29 assists for 55 points in 43 games … Humphries was a third-round pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection from the Markham Majors U16s. He has played this season with the junior A Aurora Tigers … Ryan Elbers and Kevin McArthur were the referees.
