Four-in-a-row for Hounds following win over Hamilton

Story by soogreyhounds.com  |  Photo’s courtesy of James Egan Photography

Along with extending their current winning streak to four games, the Soo Greyhounds pulled their home ice record to .500 following Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs.

It was the first meeting of two this regular season between the two clubs.

The Hounds would extend a 2-1 first period lead by scoring the only goals in both the second and third periods en-route to the victory.

“Ya I thought we were flat the first two periods, outstanding in the third period.  I didn’t think we had our normal jump, compared to what we had last night” started Hounds Head Coach Drew Bannister when asked about his club having no passengers on the night.

“Once we picked up the pace in the third period they didn’t touch the puck at all.  We started to play the way we could and we spent the whole time in the offensive zone which is how we wanted to play the whole game” he continued.

The night started with some animosity early, as just fifty-seconds into the game the Hounds BORIS KATCHOUK and Bulldogs Justin Lemcke dropped the mitts but both players mostly were tied up in the fistacuff.
Katchouk, who had a solid weekend for the club, was in the box for seven of the first eleven minutes of the period after later taking a minor penalty.

Overage forward DAVID MILLER would open the scoring at the 11:37 mark to start off a stretch that saw the two sides combine for three goals in a span of 1:06.
MAC HOLLOWELL’s point shot resulted in a rebound off the blocker of Kaden Fulcher where MILLER desposited home his 10th goal of the year for a 1-0 Greyhounds lead.

Hamilton responded just 37 seconds later when Michael Cramarossa took the left wing to the goal and put home his 7th goal of the season to tie the game.
The goal came as a Hounds defender was crossed up at the line, and the play was later reviewed for a potential offside but the goal would stand.

Not to be outdone, the tie game lasted just 29 seconds before the Hounds took the lead for good.
BORIS KATCHOUK held possession behind the Hamilton goal before his pass was skated across the slot and patiently fired home by HAYDEN VERBEEK for his 6th goal of the year and a 2-1 Greyhound lead through twenty minutes.

In the middle frame Hamilton jumped out to a 13-5 shot advantage before Isaac Nurse was assessed a double-minor for high sticking.  It was an opportunity the Hounds would cash in on.
On the latter half of the man advantage, 2nd-year defenceman CONOR TIMMINS would skate from the point to the circle to the right of the goal and shoot home his 3rd goal of the season extending the Hounds lead to a pair of goals, now 3-1 after two periods of play.
BOBBY MACINTYRE and DAVID MILLER picked up the assists.

The Hounds would then start the third period with a 5-on-3 for 1:24 and take quick action to extend their lead further.
ZACH SENYSHYN’S original shot produced a rebound that would be picked up by OTTO MAKINEN and deposited home for a 4-1 advantage for the Hounds.
For Makinen, it was his 5th goal of the season and second in as many games.

That goal was part of a 7-0 shot advantage for the Hounds in the opening four minutes of the third period.

The home side would 41-for-60 (68.3%) in the face-off circle on the night while again playing stingy defensively including a 32 save performance by JOSEPH RAAYMAKERS while extending their current winning streak.

With a 15-7-1-0 record (good for 31 points), the Hounds take over top spot in the West Division over the Windsor Spitfires, while Windsor holds three games in hand.

ATTENDANCE – 3,507

RED STAR THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1- Bobby MacIntyre, SSM
2- Boris Katchouk, SSM
3- David Miller, SSM

To view the boxscore CLICK HERE.

UP NEXT;
The Hounds will now head out on an extended three-game Eastern Ontario roadswing beginning on Thursday, November 24 at North Bay.

Game time at the Memorial Gardens is set for 7 PM.

Fans can hear all the action beginning with the Pre-Game Show on Rock 101 (101.3 FM) starting at 6:30 PM or watch on ShawTV starting at 7 PM.