Bears await call to ice
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Coach Ryan Oulahen expects two teams fervently seeking better results when the Soo Greyhounds visit his North Bay Battalion in Ontario Hockey League action at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“It’s two desperate teams,” Oulahen said Tuesday, the eve of Teddy Bear Toss Night. “That’s the way that mostly I’m looking at it. We’re not really happy with the weekend that we’ve had. Soo’s in the same situation.”
North Bay, with a 13-13-3 won-lost-extended record for 29 points, is fifth in the Central Division, while Soo, 14-17-0 for 28 points, is tied for third place in the West Division with the Flint Firebirds, who hold a game in hand.
In play last week, the Battalion lost 7-3 Thursday night to the visiting Niagara IceDogs, won 3-1 Friday night over the host Oshawa Generals and were edged 4-3 Sunday at Memorial Gardens by the Ottawa 67’s. Soo, meanwhile, dropped its last two of three home games, 8-4 to Niagara on Friday night and 6-3 to the Sarnia Sting on Sunday.
The Troops, who opened the scoring against Ottawa before allowing four straight first-period goals, pulled within one on second-period tallies by Lirim Amidovski on the power play and Nick Wellenreiter, who struck shorthanded.
“We’re seeing that gamebreaker capability, I think, with him,” Oulahen noted of Amidovski, who has 10 goals and five assists for 15 points in 28 games in his second season.
“He’s scored at high levels all the way through his minor hockey and now he’s got that confidence. Last game, I couldn’t get him on the ice enough. He was just going. His engine’s unbelievable. He plays heavy and hard, and then he’s got a great shot and great release, so looking for more of it, for sure.”
Aaron Enright scored 42 seconds after the opening faceoff, but the early marker ran counter to a pattern that has seen the Battalion surrender early-period goals. Oulahen addressed the issue.
“I’m a big believer in habits and routine. I think we’re still trying to find the habit and routine with this team. I just go back in the last few years, there’s always something that we’ve had to change with our pregame routine, and that’s something we’re looking at, just when we do things, when the meetings are. Those types of things I think can help.
“And certainly, just practice. For the last couple of weeks the players know that we go right into a game-like scenario right to start practice.”
The Soo game is the last home date before Dec. 29 when the Barrie Colts visit. The Troops complete their pre-Christmas schedule Friday night at Sudbury.
Ethan Procyszyn paces the Battalion offence with a team-leading 20 goals and 12 assists for 32 points in 29 games, while Jacob LeBlanc has four goals and a team-high 25 assists for 29 points in as many games. Shamar Moses has scored six goals and earned 19 assists for 25 points in 24 games since a trade from Barrie, and Owen Van Steensel has 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 29 games.
For the Greyhounds, Justin Cloutier has a team-leading 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points in 31 games, and Brady Martin has scored 14 goals and added 14 assists for 28 points in 27 games. Marco Mignosa has 11 goals and a team-high 15 assists for 26 points in 21 games.
Brickley Bears, to be thrown onto the ice after the Battalion’s first goal, can be purchased at The Brick North Bay to support the Santa Fund and the Children’s Miracle Network. Bears and plush toys, which should be wrapped in plastic, also can be brought from home.
