Colts Claw Through Attack in 5-3 Win

Three games. Three nights. Three wins.

Saturday night, the Colts hosted the Owen Sound Attack when they came away with the 5-3 victory. The win came after earning wins against the Ottawa 67’s and the Niagara Ice Dogs on Thursday and Friday night respectively.

The Colts would get on the scoreboard first with a shorthanded goal as Andrew Mangiapane picked the pocket of an Attack defender right in front of Owen Sounds’ net before wiring one by Attack goalie Michael McNiven. The goal was Mangiapane’s team leading 45^th and his 5^th short-handed goal on the year.

The Colts would carry their 1-0 lead into the second. However, their lead would be short-lived in the early moments of the period, as the Attack would get the equalizer when defenceman Tyler MacArthur capitalized on a Barrie turnover. He fired a wrist shot by a screened Blackwood for his first of the season.

Halfway through the period, Barrie would retake the lead as a heavy forecheck caused an Owen Sound turnover. Justin Scott would grab the puck and place a backhand by McNiven. The goal was Scott’s 22^nd of the year as the goal was unassisted.

The Attack would make it a tie game going into the third, scoring in the late stages of the second as Petrus Palmu buried Nick Suzuki’s rebound through the legs of Mackenzie Blackwood. Palmu becomes the first Owen Sound player to reach twenty goals for the season as Suzuki and Bryson Cianfrone were credited with the assists.

Owen Sound grabbed their first lead of the game just 36 seconds into the frame after a nice three way passing play. Nick Suzuki fed Bryson Cianfrone who spotted an open Petrus Palmu backdoor as he made no mistake finishing off the play for his second of the game and 21^st of the season.

Despite trailing, the Colts were not fazed as they would tie it up at 3-3 when Andrew Mangiapane and Kevin Labanc orchestrated a beautiful two man passing game that resulted in Mangiapane going top shelf on McNiven for his second of the game and 46^th of the season. Mangiapane now sits 2^nd in the OHL in goals, trailing London’s Christian Dvorak who stands at 49. Labanc’s assist gives him 119 points for the season as he now sits two points back of the franchise’s single season record of 121 set by Sheldon Keefe during the 1999-00 season.

With 5:58 left in the third, the Colts would regain the lead as Rasmus Andersson received the puck at the point where he rifled one top by McNiven who never saw it till last second to give Barrie a 4-3 lead. The goal was Rasmus’ 8^th of the year as Ben Hawerchuk and Cordell James recorded the helpers.

With 2:05 remaining, a high-sticking penalty by Keigan Goetz mixed with the Attack pulling their goalie rewarded in Owen Sound playing with a 6 on 4 man advantage and a quality opportunity to tie the game late. The Colts need not worry as Mackenzie Blackwood shut the door on the Attack before Justin Scott sealed it with an empty netter for his second of the game and 23^rd of the season.

With their win, the Colts have now recorded points in 16 straight homes, posting a record of 15-0-0-1 in that span, with their last home regulation loss coming back on December 19^th when they fell 5-2 to the North Bay Battalion.

The Colts will be in Owen Sound Wednesday followed by a Friday night match-up in Sudbury before returning home Saturday to host the Peterborough Petes. Get your tickets now by visiting BMC Box Office or going to www.ticketbreak.com.