Colts fall 4-3 in battle against Greyhounds
In the first and only meeting at the Barrie Molson Centre between the Colts and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, the Colts looked to get back in the win column after losing their last game against the Oshawa Generals. Prior to tonight, the Colts have had eight wins and two losses in their last ten games.
The previous meeting between these two teams back in November saw the Greyhounds dominant, winning 8-3. Tonight, it was a much closer contest, but the Greyhounds still came out on top, winning 4-3 in a physical game.
Joseph Balndisi, Andrew Mangiapane and Ben Harpur all scored for the Colts, while Jonathan Laser, Kevin Labanc and Daniel Gibl each had assists. In goal, Gibl would stop 28 of 32 shots that he faced.
The Greyhounds would score the lone goal of the first period when Edmonton Oilers draft pick, Darnell Nurse, notched his 8th of the season. Nearly 10 minutes into the period, after a failed clearing attempt from the Colts, Nurse fired a one-timer from the side boards past Gibl for his unassisted goal.
Gibl stopped 8 of the 9 of shots he faced in the first period, while coming up with two big saves on Nick Ritchie to keep it a one-goal game.
Almost six minutes into the second period, the Greyhounds extended their lead when Medric Mercier put home a slap shot after Hayden Verbeek won the draw back to him. Mercier’s slap shot beat the crowd in front and Gibl for his third goal of the year. Only three minutes later, the Greyhounds registered another goal off a lucky bounce. A pass from Anthony DeAngelo bounced off of Michael Bunting’s skate and went high in the air. Gibl lost track of the puck and it jumped in front of him to beat him. The goal was Bunting’s 18th of the season, while Justin Bailey also assisted on the play.
After being down 3-0 midway through the contest, the Colts would get on the board with just over 8 minutes left in the second period. Blandisi would tip home his 31st goal of the season off of Laser’s point shot. The Colts outshot the Greyhounds 13-11 in the second period.
Opening the third period on the power play, just a minute in, Labanc drove into the Greyhounds zone down the right side before getting below the goal line and passing it out in front to Mangiapane. Mangiapane had time in the slot and put it home for his 28th goal of the season to bring the Colts to within one. Gibl would also get credited with an assist on the goal, which would be his first assist in the OHL, and second assist from a Colt goalie this season.
After registering an assist on Mangiapane’s goal, Labanc would put himself back in the point column after going three games without a point after his record 25-game point streak.
With less than 9 minutes left in the game, the Colts were in penalty trouble and gave the Greyhounds a two-man advantage. On the power play, the Greyhounds capitalized when McCann ripped home a short-side shot on Gibl to make it a 4-2 game. Bailey and DeAngelo would assist on the Greyhounds only power play goal of the contest.
But a minute later and short-handed, Harpur cleared the puck down the ice. Lemieux pressured Halverson as he came out to play the puck, forcing Halverson to move quickly. After bringing the puck in front of his goal, Halverson misplayed it and ended up putting the puck in his own net. The Colts goal would be credited to Harpur as he was the last Colt to touch the puck. The goal would be Harpur’s first goal as a Colt, and his 8th of the season, which brought the Colts back within one goal.
Despite chances from Hooey and Harpur with less than five minutes in the game, and pulling Gibl for the extra attacker in the dying minutes, the Colts were unable to tie the game, and fell to the Greyhounds 4-3.
Both teams went 1 for 4 on the power play, and the Colts outshot the Greyhounds 33-32 over three periods.
The Colts are back in action on Saturday, January 24th at the Barrie Molson Centre as they welcome the Saginaw Spirit to town.Click here for tickets.
