McPherson, Aquino set to return

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Reinforcements will bolster the ranks when the Brampton Battalion opens the second half of its Ontario Hockey League schedule Thursday night against the host Peterborough Petes.rrOveragers Brock McPherson and Luch Aquino are to return to action when the Troops play their first of three games this week. Left winger McPherson has been sidelined for 25 games since suffering a broken ankle Oct. 16, while right winger Aquino has missed three games with a sore back.rrI’ve been looking forward to this for a while,” McPherson said Wednesday. rrIt’s a little earlier than we’d expected. It’ll be nice to get back out there with the boys again. The time went by quicker than I thought, but I was getting tired of just watching games. That’s why it’ll be great to get back out there. I still have some pain in my Achilles, but I’ll have to play through that.” rrAquino rejoined the Troops on Dec. 6 after playing 12 games for two minor-league clubs in the New York Islanders’ organization. With one goal and one assist in three games, Aquino said he’s eager to get back in action.rrI’m ready to go again. I haven’t played that much this season. I was working hard off the ice to stay in shape, but you need game situations. The doctors told me to rest my back over the holiday, and I feel a lot better now. I’m back to 100 percent.rrIt’s always tough when you aren’t practising, because you lose some of the chemistry you had with the guys you play with, but we’ve been working hard.”rrThe Battalion hit the Christmas break in third place in the Central Division with a won-lost-extended record of 18-15-1 for 37 points. Peterborough sits atop the East Division and Eastern Conference with a record of 25-6-1. The Petes’ 14-1-0 home record is the best in the OHL.rrThe Battalion, which visits the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors at 7:30 p.m. Friday before hosting the Oshawa Generals at 2 p.m. Saturday, lost its last two games before the holiday hiatus. Host Peterborough prevailed 4-3 Dec. 17 before the visiting Sudbury Wolves won 6-3 the next day.rrThose were two tough conference losses for us,” said defenceman Phil Oreskovic. But we’ve had our time off, and I think the guys will be rested, recuperated and ready to go.”rrOreskovic scored his second goal of the season to tie the Peterborough game 3-3 early in the third period before Aaron Dawson netted the winner at 9:19.rrThere was a lot of talk before that game in our room about how the Petes had been playing, but once the game started I thought we really had a chance to beat them.”rrSaid Aquino: This game will be a really good test. I thought we could have beaten them that night, and hopefully I can be a guy who can make a difference tomorrow night.”rrOverage defenceman Nick Duff will serve a two-game suspension for drawing an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of the loss to Sudbury. Coach Stan Butler, ejected from the game after expressing his displeasure with the officiating, was spared further discipline.rrGame time at Peterborough is 7 p.m. Fans in the Brampton area can see the game live on Rogers Cable 10, with an audio simulcast available on battalionhockey.com.r