Rematch opens road trio
NORTH BAY, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion hits the road for three games this week without top-ranked goaltender Dom DiVincentiis but looking for strong reserves to step up in the crease.
North Bay, which lost DiVincentiis to a left ankle sprain in a 5-4 comeback victory Sunday over the Sudbury Wolves, visits the Nickel City at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday to complete a home-and-home set. The Battalion has a won-lost-extended record of 6-4-3 for 15 points, second in the Ontario Hockey League’s Central Division. Sudbury is third at 7-5-0 for 14 points.
“It’s a quick turnaround with the Wednesday game, but I’ve also talked about trying to be better in those first games of the week, so no better way than to change your routine, so to speak, with a Wednesday game,” Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen said Tuesday.
“It gives us a little bit different way to prepare, so I’m looking forward to getting going here. I know the guys love playing games. It’s quick, and we get after it here.”
DiVincentiis left the game Sunday midway in the second period after Kocha Delic, who received a goaltender interference penalty, drove the Battalion’s Ihnat Pazii into DiVincentiis beside the net. He was helped off the ice and went for X-rays, which were negative.
Oulahen said DiVincentiis is out on a week-to-week basis.
“We’re relieved of that, for sure, but at the same time we think that we’ve got depth at that position. Charlie Robertson has played really good hockey for us, so he deserves to keep going a little bit. We’ve felt bad for Mike McIvor here who hasn’t been able to get his feet wet, so now you get an opportunity to get both those guys rolling.”
Robertson inherited a 3-2 deficit but stopped 17 of 18 shots against Sudbury to earn the win, his first in four appearances. McIvor dressed for the third period.
Robertson, who tended goal in a 5-4 overtime loss Friday night to the host Brantford Bulldogs, ending a run of seven consecutive starts by DiVincentiis, has a 1-0-3 record, a 3.87 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage.
McIvor, who played two games with the Troops in 2022-23, has yet to see action this season. A fourth-round pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection from the Quinte Red Devils U16s, he has played two games with the junior A Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, posting a 3.95 GAA, an .889 save percentage and a record of 1-0-0.
“The potential is there to be one of the best goalies in this league when he gets his chance,” general manager Adam Dennis said of McIvor.
“Obviously, nobody wants to see an injury, and we know that Dom’s going to take care of business and be back on the ice before you know it, but it doesn’t really change anything from the way that we do things.”
The Battalion visits the Kitchener Rangers on Friday night and the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday night.
The game at Sudbury can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
