Steelheads win in overtime
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Adam Zidlicky scored 23 seconds into overtime to lift the Brampton Steelheads to a 5-4 comeback victory Sunday over the North Bay Battalion in Ontario Hockey League action.
Carson Rehkopf had two goals and Jack Van Volsen and Porter Martone one apiece, while Spencer Sova assisted on all five goals. Goaltender Jacob Gibbons made 34 saves before a crowd of 2,960.
Brampton, which played its third game in three days after a 5-3 home-ice loss Saturday to the Sarnia Sting, has a won-lost-extended record of 8-5-1 for 17 points, tied for third place in the Central Division with the Sudbury Wolves, who lost 4-3 in overtime to the host Niagara IceDogs.
Ethan Procyszyn scored two goals and Andrew LeBlanc and Natan Teshome each provided one for North Bay as goaltender Carter Nadon, making his OHL debut, faced 37 shots.
The Battalion, beaten 7-2 at Brampton on Friday night, is 7-7-2 for 16 points, fifth in the division. The Troops have lost four straight games, their last win a 3-2 decision Oct. 24 over the visiting Ottawa 67’s.
Zidlicky struck for the winner when he went to the right lip of the crease and cashed the rebound of a Sova shot from the left wing. Luke Misa also assisted on Zidlicky’s ninth goal of the season.
After the teams battled to a 3-3 tie through 40 minutes, Procyszyn connected 23 seconds into the third period, dashing almost the length of the ice down the right side, staging a give-and-go with Owen Van Steensel and converting the return pass from the right side for a team-leading 12th goal.
Nadon robbed penalty killer Martone with a glove grab against a breakaway at 4:17, but Rehkopf beat the goaltender from high on the right wing on a rush at 14:59, precipitating overtime.
Van Volsen struck 59 seconds into the first period, snapping home the puck from the left wing after a cross-ice pass from Martin Vaculik.
LeBlanc tied it at 4:08, converting the rebound of a shot by Stepan Chukharev, who shrugged off Misa at the right-wing boards and went to the net. Jacob Therrien had the second assist on LeBlanc’s third goal.
Rehkopf was credited with a goal when he fired the puck from the blue line through traffic on the power play at 13:37. Sova and Finn Harding assisted on the marker, which survived a video review that appeared to focus on whether Martone deflected the disc with a high stick at the crease.
Martone beat the clock with a power-play goal at 19:59 when his shot from high on the right boards eluded Nadon on the short side. Sova and Harding drew assists on Martone’s team-high 16th goal.
Teshome scored at 13:16 of the second period after Reyth Smith knocked the puck loose with a check in the right corner. Nolan Laird seized it and fed the Finnish import wide open in front. Teshome’s quick shot for his first OHL goal flipped high over Gibbons into the net.
Ryder Carey scrapped with Brampton’s Troy Patton six seconds later, getting the takedown. Each received a major and misconduct for a staged fight.
Procyszyn tied it 3-3 at 18:14, taking a pass from Shamar Moses at the right faceoff dot, which he shared with Martone, and shaking himself loose to fire the rubber past Gibbons. Van Steensel also assisted.
The Battalion opens a two-game road trip against the Windsor Spitfires at 7:05 p.m. Thursday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on YourTV Channels 12 and 700.
BATTALION BULLETS: Military Appreciation Day, sponsored by the Powassan Voodoos, included a ceremonial faceoff appearance by retired sergeant Dennis Moore, 93, a Korean War veteran … It was the first time a Brampton team played an OHL game at Memorial Gardens since Oct. 27, 2001, when the Battalion and Centennials tied 2-2. Kurt MacSweyn and Jay McClement, who forced overtime with a goal at 19:47 of the third period, scored for the Troops, while Josh Tataryn and Denis Yachmenev connected for the hosts. Goaltender Joey Biasucci made 27 saves for Brampton and Andrew Penner 32 for North Bay … Briir Long, acquired in a trade last Sunday, made his home-ice debut … The Battalion went 0-for-4 on the power play. Brampton was 2-for-4 … Opening lines had Procyszyn centring left winger Van Steensel and right winger Moses, LeBlanc centring left winger Laird and right winger Therrien and Carey pivoting left winger Long and right winger Lirim Amidovski. Teshome centred left winger Smith and right winger Chukharev … Defence pairings saw Bronson Ride with Wyatt Kennedy, Brayden Turley with Jacob LeBlanc and Zach Wilson with Kent Greer … The Battalion was without Declan Gallivan, Aaron Enright, Dylan Richter, Ihnat Pazii, Anthony Romani and Mike McIvor … Charlie Larocque backed up Nadon … Brampton’s scratches included Stevie Leskovar, Angus MacDonell and Lucas Karmiris … Sean Kimmerly and Pat Myers were the referees.
