Smolenak gives Kingston OT win
KINGSTON, Ont. Radek Smolenak’s power-play goal at 1:33 of overtime gave the Kingston Frontenacs a 3-2 victory Friday night over the Battalion, snapping the Troops’ three-game Ontario Hockey League winning streak.rrMichael Vernace was assessed a hooking penalty 36 seconds into extra time before Smolenak ripped his own rebound past Battalion goaltender Daren Machesney from tight to the netminder’s left.rrBobby Bolt scored the other two goals for Kingston, which won a second consecutive game to move its won-lost-tied record to 8-9-0, including one overtime loss, for 17 points and fourth place in the East Division. Kingston goaltender Dayne Davis made 22 saves in his sixth win.rrJ.F. Houle and Wojtek Wolski scored for the Battalion, which is 10-6-2, including one overtime loss, for 23 points. The Troops are first in the Central Division and tied with the Belleville Bulls atop the Eastern Conference.rrMachesney faced 27 shots in goal for the Battalion, which lost for the first time since a 6-3 home-ice setback to the Sudbury Wolves on Oct. 24.rrBolt’s fourth goal of the season, on the power play at 9:03 of the third period, pulled Kingston into a 2-2 tie. Bolt poked the loose puck past a sprawled Machesney after Czech import Smolenak crashed through the crease in a failed attempt to score.rrWolski’s seventh goal gave the Battalion a 2-1 lead at 1:37 of the period when he took a pass from Vernace and beat Davis from the deep slot.rrHoule’s fourth goal put the Battalion ahead 1-0 at 3:47 of the second period. After Graham McNabb took a shot from the left-wing circle, Houle was quick to fire the rebound past Davis from the edge of the crease to the goaltender’s right.rrBolt, who had been foiled by Machesney when set up alone in front on a two-on-one rush in the third minute, tied it at 10:17. Bolt, cruising across the goalmouth, swiped the puck home after Bobby Hughes dumped it in front from the left wing.rrThe goal followed a flurry that threatened to increase the Battalion lead, with Davis coming up big against Howie Martin in the eighth minute on a setup by Patrick Sweeney and against Ryan Oulahen at 8:25 after he sidestepped a defender.rrThe teams skated through a scoreless first period, with Machesney making a standout blocker save on a 25-foot shot by Evan Kotsopoulos in the 19th minute.rrThe Battalion was without Tomas Stryncl, Luch Aquino, Scott Boomsma and Jason Cassidy. Right winger Aquino, the club’s leading scorer, was sidelined after sliding head-first into the boards Sunday in a 4-1 win over the visiting Plymouth Whalers.rrDan Dempsey, Adam Nemeth and Dan Revelle were scratched for Kingston.rrThe Battalion hosts Sudbury on Sunday. Game time is 2 p.m.rrBATTALION NOTEBOOK: Attendance was 2,046 The Battalion is 2-1-2 in overtime, while Kingston is 1-1-0 Wolski, who has scored in two consecutive games, has an eight-game points streak … Defenceman Phil Oreskovic returned to the Battalion lineup after missing the Plymouth game with a cut foot With Aquino out of action, left winger Aaron Snow moved to the right side with centre Oulahen and left winger Dan McDonald, a former member of the Frontenacs Brock McPherson decisioned Kotsopoulos in a fight early in the first period, and Oreskovic outwrestled Chris Stewart in the third frame The Frontenacs were coming off a 5-3 road victory Thursday night over the Peterborough Petes It was the first home game for Kingston defencemen Chris Petrow and Justin Wallingford, acquired Wednesday in a trade with the Oshawa Generals Onetime Battalion goaltending prospect Matthew Spezza backed up Davis. Spezza, the younger brother of former Battalion centre Jason Spezza, was chosen by the Troops in the eighth round of the 2002 OHL Priority Selection. He was traded to Kingston last June for an eighth-round pick in 2007 The Troops host the Frontenacs on Nov. 28.r
