Battalion stings Sarnia
MIDLAND, Ont. — Ryder Carey scored two goals, including an empty-netter, and Jonathan Kapageridis had four assists to pace the North Bay Battalion to a 7-2 victory Friday night over the Sarnia Sting in an Ontario Hockey League preseason game.
Ihnat Pazii provided one goal and one assist, and Jax Pereira, Arseny Pronin, Parker Vaughan and Nolan Laird also scored for North Bay, which posted its third exhibition win without a loss.
Goaltender Charlie Larocque, making his first appearance of the preseason, produced 42 saves in a stellar performance.
Cameron Aucoin and Beckham Edwards scored for Sarnia, the nominal home team, while goaltender Patrick Quinlan allowed six goals on 28 shots. The Sting is 0-2-1 in preseason action.
The game was played before an enthusiastic crowd at the North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre as part of celebrations marking the merger of the Penetang and Midland minor hockey associations as the A-level Georgian Bay Islanders.
The Battalion emerged from a penalty-filled first period with a 3-2 lead, although defenceman Aucoin opened the scoring at 3:19 on a screened left-point shot after Carson Hall won a faceoff to Larocque’s right.
Pereira replied with his first goal of the preseason at 6:23, connecting from the left wing. Pereira’s shot deflected past Quinlan off the left skate of Hughston Hurt. Nick Wellenreiter and Pazii had assists.
With the teams skating four a side, Pazii drilled his second goal on a low drive from the left circle at 13:56. Kapageridis and Brandt Harper received assists.
Edwards tied it 2-2 on the power play at 16:29, knocking home the puck from the right front of the net after the Battalion failed on a couple of attempts to corral it, but Pronin took a lead pass from Kapageridis and scored what proved to be the winner on a breakaway 43 seconds later.
Evgeny Dubrovtsev came off the bench, took a pass from Kent Greer and put the puck in front of Quinlan, where Carey chipped it high into the net at 13:49 of the middle period.
Vaughan made it 5-2 on the power play at 19:07, beating Quinlan high to the glove side off assists by Cam Warren and Kapageridis.
More penalties followed in the final frame, punctuated by a scrap between Carter Kunopaski and Sarnia’s Ryder Simpson at 11:56. Both received fighting majors, with Kunopaski drawing a hooking minor and Simpson an instigating call and a game misconduct.
Carey put his second goal of the preseason into the empty net at 18:16, and Laird deked Quinlan on a breakaway 29 seconds later on assists by Kapageridis and Dubrovtsev.
The Battalion visits the Ottawa 67’s at 1 p.m. Saturday for a rematch of the Troops’ 4-3 victory via shootout at home Wednesday night.
BATTALION BULLETS: Ryder Cali and Ethan Procyszyn, of nearby Penetanguishene and Wasaga Beach respectively, traveled to Midland ahead of the rest of the Battalion to take part in pregame festivities. Dylan Seca, who splits time between Sarnia and Midland, where his family lives, was a teacher at Georgian Bay District Secondary School before becoming general manager of the Sting, which hosts the Barrie Colts on the same ice Saturday night … The Battalion went 1-for-7 on the power play. Sarnia was 1-for-5 … Opening lines included Procyszyn centring left winger Cali and right winger Shamar Moses, Pazii centring left winger Pereira and right winger Wellenreiter and Warren pivoting left winger Laird and right winger Vaughan. Dubrovtsev centred left winger Pronin and right winger Carey … Defence pairs were Kapageridis with Harper, Kunopaski with Greer and Sam Rivet with Adrian Manzo … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Aaron Enright, Briir Long, Declan Gallivan, Bronson Ride and Lirim Amidovski … Jack Lisson backed up Larocque … Sarnia scratches included Jack Van Volsen, Carter Kostuch and Brenner Lammens … Quinlan, a Plymouth, Mich., resident, was an eighth-round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection from the Bishop Kearney Selects 15s of Rochester, N.Y.
