RECAP: Ludwinski leads the Frontenacs to 4-3 OT Win over North Bay
Story of the Game: In what could potentially be a first round matchup of the 2024 OHL playoffs, the Frontenacs played host to the North Bay Battalion. Of course today is also St. Patrick’s Day, so the Frontenacs had to sport some classic green and gold St. Patrick’s Day themed jerseys.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
KGN 1, NB 0
1:17 Paul Ludwinski (21) – Chris Thibodeau, Jacob Battaglia
Kingston seemingly had the luck of the Irish on their side early on in this one, as captain Paul Ludwinski opened the scoring just over a minute into the contest. After corralling a bouncing puck, Jacob Battaglia suddenly found himself on a three on one. Battaglia passed it to Chris Thibodeau who had his shot stopped, but Paul Ludwinski was there to bang home the rebound to make it 1-0 early on.
KGN 1, NB 1
6:47 Anthony Romani (53) – Dayln Wakely, Tnias Mathurin
The Battalion would respond with a three on one of their own just over five minutes after Ludwinski opened the scoring. After forcing a turnover in their own zone, North Bay went the other way and the puck ended up on the stick of 50 goal man Anthony Romani who would bury a one-timer to make it a 1-1 game inside of the ten minute mark of the first period.
2nd Period
KGN 2, NB 1
4:48 Paul Ludwinski (22) – Linus Hemström, Roman Schmidt
Kingston would take the lead on a Cintas powerplay opportunity early in the second period. Ludwinski entered the zone with speed and after the puck bounced off a North Bay defender; the puck ended up back on the captain’s stick and he beat Dom DiVincentiis for his second of the afternoon.
KGN 3, NB 1
6:14 Matthew Soto (23) – Gabriel Frasca, Ethan Miedema
The Frontenacs put some pressure on the Battalion after going up 2-1 as they were looking to extend their lead. After Gabriel Frasca’s shot hit a body in front of the North Bay net, Matthew Soto hit the loose puck into the back of the net to put the Fronts up 3-1.
KGN 3, NB 2
10:43 Sandis Vilmanis (35) – Andrew LeBlanc
Formerly teammates with the Sarnia Sting, the Vilmanis-LeBlanc connection has continued in North Bay since being traded there at the OHL trade deadline. Andrew LeBlanc slipped a pass to Sandis Vilmanis who deked out Mason Vaccari and put it into the top corner on his backhand to cut the Frontenacs’ lead to just one.
KGN 3, NB 3
17:38 Owen VanSteensel (40) – Dayln Wakely
North Bay would draw even with a goal from Owen VanSteensel late in the second frame. Dayln Wakely dropped the puck for VanSteensel who fired a bullet over the shoulder of Mason Vaccari for his 40th on the year to make it an interesting game in the third.
3rd Period
No scoring.
Overtime
KGN 4, NB 3
4:50 Paul Ludwinski (23) – Jacob Battaglia
Just when it looked like we would need a shootout to find a winner; the captain found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and scored the overtime winner with just ten seconds left to play in the extra period. Ludwinski entered the zone with a burst of speed and went wide around his defender and scored his hat trick goal and the extra point for Kingston; skating away with a 4-3 victory.
3 Stars of the Game:
- Paul Ludwinski (KGN) – 3 G
- Jacob Battaglia (KGN) – 2 A
- Dayln Wakely (NB) – 2 A
BMW Kingston Hardest Worker of the Game:
Maleek McGowan
Next Game:
March 22nd, 2024
Kingston Frontenacs vs. Ottawa 67’s
Slush Puppie Place | 7:00pm Puck Drop
Bruce Power Night
The Kingston Frontenacs will go head-to-head with division rivals, the Ottawa 67’s, on Friday, March 22 at Slush Puppie Place. With the 2023-24 regular season nearing its end, both teams are revving up for the playoffs. Expect fireworks as these fierce rivals collide. Secure your tickets now!
