Frasca scores his first career OHL goal in 4-2 loss to Generals

The Kingston Frontenacs (1-1-0-0) took to the road for the first time this season with a tight 4-2 loss versus the Oshawa Generals (2-0-0-1) at Tribute Community Centre on Sunday night. It was the first of eight East divisional meetings between these two teams. A first goal of the season for Mitchell Brooks and Gabriel Frasca with his first career OHL goal marked the pair of Kingston goals. Luke Torrance, Cameron Butler, Dylan Roobroaeck and an empty net goal by Calum Ritchie replied for the Oshawa General’s win.

Regular season opener first star Ivan Zhigalov was back in the Black and Gold crease after collecting his first career OHL win on Friday, September 30th at Leon’s Centre. Despite the team loss, the goaltender was excellent including multiple highlight reel saves among the 31 stopped on 34 shots. The Gennies had familiar playoff foe Patrick Leaver in the net making 32 of 34 saves.

Kingston had a pair off powerplays five minutes into the game almost taking a lead on a great setup by rookie Jacob Battaglia for Owen Outwater but second star Leaver made a first splendid save of the night on Outwater. The Gens took their first lead when Luke Torrance (1) finished off a nice passing play putting a backhand past Zhigalov for the 1-0 shorthanded marker at 7:14 assisted by Lleyton Moore and Ryan Gagnier.

The Fronts killed off a late first period Generals powerplay with Zhigalov holding steady on a pair of solid saves to keep the game within a goal. With a minute left in the first, Outwater had a pair of chances for Kingston with a shot off the post followed up with backhand deke that was stopped on another highlighted save by Leaver sending the teams to intermission with the Fronts leading 15-11 on the shot clock but down 1-0 on the scoreboard.

In the second period, The Gens had eight minutes with the man advantage firing 13 shots on the Kingston goal. Zhigalov and Leaver exchanged 10-bell saves with Kingston’s third penalty kill emphasized by a nice Zhigalov glove save keeping it a one-goal deficit midway through the match.

Mitchell Brooks (1) opened Kingston scoring finishing off a great play by Jackson Stewart tying the game at 13:29 of the middle frame. After Stewart created a turnover when burying Blake Smith in the Oshawa corner, the bruising forward took a shot and followed up with rebound pass to Brooks in front of the net for the 1-1 score. Stewart made a huge hit on Cooper Way with a neutral zone check seven minutes into the third as the sophomore forward made life uncomfortable throughout the game for the opposition.

A 2-1 lead for the homeside came on an unfortunate bounce for Zhigalov when Cameron Butler (2) had a shot ricochet off the boards and net before deflecting off the back of the Kingston goalie for Oshawa’s second lead on the fourth of five consecutive Kingston penalties. Moore and Calum Ritchie earned helpers on the lucky bounce at 15:38 as the Gens took their second one-goal lead to the final frame.

An early strike by Dylan Roobroeck (1) made it 3-1 with a wicked one-timed shot after first star Moore got his third assist finding Roobroeck open for a point-blank shot on 21 seconds into the third. Butler earned his second point with an assist on the goal that snuck through the pads of the Kingston goaltender., who didn’t have much of a chance on the save.

Wit the Gens on a sixth consecutive powerplay Gabriel Frasca (1) scored his first OHL goal in beauty fashion after a breakaway chance making it 3-2 at 3:28 of the third. The Fronts 2022 first-round selection stole the puck before racing in on Leaver and beating the veteran goalie with a nice low shot. Zhigalov made another huge save on Beckett Sennecke as the Gens finished up the same man-advantage to keep the Fronts in striking distance.

Kingston pressured hard in the last ten minutes with six consecutive shots and Zhigalov was pulled with 1:54 left and Ritchie (2) made it 4-2 into the empty cage.

 

Powerplays

KGN (0/3)

OSH (1/6)

 

BMW Kingston Hardest Worker:

•  Jackson Stewart

 

Three Star of the Game:

1. Lleyton Moore – OSH (3A)
2.  Cam Butler – OSH (1G,1A)
3.  Gabriel Frasca – KGN (1G)

 

Team Stat Pack – GP (2)

Record (1-1-0-0)

Leaders (Top 3)

Goals – Stewart, Hughes, Hemstrom, Brooks, Frasca (1)

Assists – Thibodeau, Battaglia, Frasca, Soto, Hughes, Stewart (1)

Points – Stewart, Hughes, Frasca (2), Hemstrom, Thibodeau, Battaglia, Soto, Brooks (1)

PIMs – Hache (7), Stewart (6), Poole, Belanger, Frasca, Hemstrom, Budnick (2)

SOG – Arcuri (7), Hughes, Hemstrom, Stewart (4), Thibodeau, Battaglia, Frasca, Budnick (3)

 

On The Front

Be a part of the Kingston Frontenacs 1970’s theme night at the next home game on Friday, Oct 7 against 2022 playoff opponent North Bay Battalion at 7:00 pm. The night features hits from the past and tributes to the 1970’s Kingston Canadians era.

The double-dip weekend continues October 9 with a Sunday afternoon affair hosting the Kitchener Rangers at 2:00 PM. Join us for the first Sunday Funday event with family fun activities on the main concourse! Doors open at 1:00 pm.

96.3 Big FM and 104.3 Fresh Radio are your exclusive home for play-by-play with Frontenacs voice Jim Gilchrist. Fans can listen to the action live at https://frontenacs.leanplayer.com/

Fans can also follow along with team social media channels at Twitter, Facebook and IG for updates.

All home game tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.ca or visiting the Leon’s Centre box office. Group tickets, Flex Packs and season ticket memberships are available at www.kingstonfrontenacs.com.