Feb. 8/25 vs Soo: Highlights & Recap
The Colts and Greyhounds met face-to-face for the first time this season on Saturday night in Barrie’s Sadlon Arena. These teams don’t often meet, having played just eight games against each other over the past five seasons. The Colts have been the stronger team in 2024-25, ranking first in the Eastern Conference with 67 points while riding a nine-game point streak before their meeting with the Greyhounds. For the Soo, they’ve had their struggles this season, hanging on to the final playoff spot in the West with 42 points prior to Saturday’s contest. The Colts entered with three days rest after previously playing four games over a six-day stretch.
The game’s first five minutes were largely played within the neutral zone, with neither team able to establish possession. Just one shot was recorded in the first five minutes and Barrie didn’t get rubber on net until after the six-minute mark. A crucial Barrie giveaway allowed the Greyhounds to score the game’s first goal and take a 1-0 lead late in the frame. The Colts got more opportunities as the period went on, finishing with 10 total shots, they were still outshot by the Greyhounds though, who registered 12. The period was ultimately defined by stout goaltending as the Soo’s tally would be the lone goal in the opening frame.
The second began like the first as both teams mustered a combined five shots in the period’s first eight minutes. Similar to the opening frame, the bulk of scoring chances were generated in the latter half of play, and like the first, the netminders stood tall. The Greyhounds gave the Colts a four-minute powerplay with just 4:02 remaining in the frame. The double minor gave Barrie an ideal opportunity to get on the board and tie the game before the final period. The Colts ended up cashing in on an Emil Hemming one-timer that he shelved for his 14th on the year and his fifth in his last six games. The Soo ended the frame winning the shot battle by a six-shot margin (24-18) but failed to maintain their lead, and the game would move into the final period of play knotted at one.
The Colts lacked discipline early in the final frame, taking two minor penalties before the four-minute mark. Barrie managed to kill both penalties, allowing just two shots, and the game remained tied 1-1 into the middle minutes of the period. The Soo continued to control play without the man advantage, holding Barrie to just one shot in the first half of the period and scoring at 8:43 elapsed to regain the lead 2-1. The Colts were gifted a powerplay late in the game and they capitalized again with the extra man, tying the game at two for Beau Jelsma’s 18th. Barrie then doubled up, scoring again under a minute later to take their first lead 3-2, on Owen Van Steensel’s first as a Colt. The Soo remained relentless, hemming Barrie in their own zone and forcing Hillebrandt to make multiple acrobatic saves. The Greyhounds’ sustained pressure resulted in a Colts penalty for delay of game with 1:36 left on the clock. Riley Patterson would score an empty netter on the penalty kill, sealing the game as a 4-2 win for the Colts.
The Colts seemed to have made a living stealing games this year, with many of their wins being of the come-from-behind nature. The win pushes Barrie’s point streak to 10 games and helps solidify their place atop the conference. Hard to find words for the Greyhounds, who outshot Barrie 44 to 29 just to come up short late. The second and final meeting between these two this season takes place on March 7th in the Soo.
