Battalion wins to end slide
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Nick Wellenreiter scored two goals, including the shorthanded winner, as the North Bay Battalion defeated the Peterborough Petes 4-1 Thursday night, ending the Troops’ six-game Ontario Hockey League losing streak.
Ethan Procyszyn had a shorthanded empty-netter and one assist, and Andrew LeBlanc also scored, while goaltender Mike McIvor made 22 saves for the Battalion, which in keeping with OHL protocol wore its dark sweaters at home after New Year’s.
North Bay, which dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen, has a won-lost-extended record of 14-18-3 for 31 points, fifth in the Central Division. The Battalion had last won 3-1 on Dec. 13 over the host Oshawa Generals.
Gavin Bryant scored for Peterborough as goaltender Zach Bowen allowed three goals on 39 shots before a Memorial Gardens crowd of 2,477. The Petes, who lost a fourth straight game, are 7-23-6 for 20 points, fifth in the East Division.
“It’s about time — that’s what we said to the guys,” noted Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen.
“It was a well played game by us, for sure, very similar to the way I think we’ve been playing here in the last couple of games. We got rid of those mental errors. There weren’t too many of those tonight, and then we just stuck with the game. It was probably 2-1 way too long. Their goalie played extremely well.”
North Bay, which carried a 2-1 lead into the third period, got a two-goal cushion when Wellenreiter connected at 15:11. Breaking over the blue line, he controlled a high pass from Procyszyn and went in alone on Bowen, deking him and slipping the puck home to the goaltender’s left. Aaron Enright also assisted on Wellenreiter’s fifth goal in 12 games since joining the Troops from the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League.
Shamar Moses went off for high-sticking at 18:10, the Battalion’s second late penalty, but Procyszyn hauled down a soaring puck in the Peterborough zone and put the shorthanded empty-net goal into the vacant cage 27 seconds later. It was Procyszyn’s team-leading 21st goal.
Having trailed 1-0 at the first intermission, Peterborough tied it at 3:05 of the second period when Bryant converted a rebound from the left wing for his eighth goal. Carson Cameron and Braydon McCallum had the assists.
Penalty killer Wellenreiter scored unassisted at 10:05, racing away from his own zone with Bronson Ride and beating Bowen cleanly on the forehand.
Bowen made two big stops shortly afterwards, diving to deny Reyth Smith off a Briir Long setup at 12:45 and grabbing a Wellenreiter effort from close range at 14:17.
LeBlanc was credited with a power-play goal, his sixth of the season, at 17:58 of the first period when his pass from behind the goal line on the right side deflected off the skate of Grayden Strohack past Bowen. Jacob LeBlanc and Moses drew assists.
The Battalion dominated play in the frame, forging a 13-5 edge in shots on goal and enjoying all three power plays, the last stretching into the middle period.
The Battalion visits the Sudbury Wolves at 7:05 p.m. Friday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: On Boart Longyear Night, some lucky fans received caps … The Battalion debuted shoulder patches consisting of the logo marking the centennial April 14, 2025, of the establishment of the City of North Bay. They will be worn on the club’s home and road Sarge-crested sweaters for the rest of the season … The Battalion went 3-1-0 against the Petes this season, winning 4-0 at home Sept. 27 in the Troops’ schedule opener and 5-3 at Peterborough on Oct. 3 before a 4-1 road setback Nov. 23 … Wyatt Kennedy rocked the Petes’ Nico Addy early in the final period, after which he promptly took his third penalty, for slashing … Owen Van Steensel led the Battalion with six shots on goal. McCallum, Martin Matejicek, Quinton Page, Caden Taylor and Aiden Young had three shots apiece for Peterborough … Jack Lisson, whose rights were acquired from the junior A Wellington Dukes, backed up McIvor … The Battalion went 1-for-6 on the power play. Peterborough was 0-for-5 … Opening lines saw Procyszyn centring left winger Moses and right winger Lirim Amidovski, Andrew LeBlanc centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Wellenreiter and Ryder Cali pivoting left winger Nolan Laird and right winger Ryder Carey. Centre Long and left winger Smith had rotating linemates … The Battalion was without Jacob Therrien, Dylan Richter, Ihnat Pazii, Anthony Romani and Stepan Chukharev … … Declan Gallivan continues to recuperate from illness at home in Sault Ste. Marie.
