Greyhounds call lapse ‘unacceptable’
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
FULL PHOTO GALLERY | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
More than just snow melted away in the Sault’s downtown area on Sunday.
So did a one-goal lead, a strong performance – up until the latter stages of the second period – and the Soo Greyhounds chances of snapping a losing streak.
The Windsor Spitfires scored four times in a span of 4:19 late in the middle frame to dissolve a 2-1 Soo advantage.
Despite a feverish third period rally by the Hounds, the Spits went on to post a 10-6 victory in front of 4,502 at GFL Memorial Gardens.
“That was unacceptable. It cost us the game and it can’t happen,” defenceman Keegan Gillen said of his club’s second period struggles. “When opponents are rallying, we need to learn to bounce back.”
“We had a couple of missed assignments and little details cost us,” added centre Owen Allard. “We’re a young team and we didn’t respond well once they tied the game.”
Despite the team’s youth, and the fact the Soo was minus four regulars, Gillen said a poor response should never happen.
“When the opponent is rallying, we need to come out like dogs,” he added.
The Greyhounds played minus Andrew Gibson and Noel Nordh, both competing at the World Junior Championship, Brady Martin (lower-body injury) and Spencer Evans (upper body).
“Of course, you can’t give up four quick goals like that,” lamented Hounds head coach John Dean, whose club dropped its third straight and fifth in six outings, while falling to 15-20-0-0. “Some small details were missed. Their second goal should never have happened.”
With the home team leading 2-1, the Spits tied the game at 15:36 of the middle frame.
A Soo turnover at the Windsor blueline led to a 2-on-1 and Liam Greentree fed Jean-Christoph Lemieux on the left wing. He beat a sliding Landon Miller on the stick side and the game was tied at two.
Dean thought it was a shot Miller should have stopped.
“That one can’t go in,” added the Greyhounds coach, whose club is set to play host to Peterborough on Friday (7:07 p.m.). “And I didn’t like our response prior to the third goal.”
Just 23 seconds later, Noah Morneau moved around a Hounds defender and fed the trailer, Cole Davis, for a one-timer from the right circle. He beat Miller on the glove side to put the Spits up 3-2.
On the power play, at 18:30, Morneau was cutting through the slot when he had two whacks at the puck, eventually beating Miller to make it 4-2.
And then, with 4.9 seconds to go in the period, Greentree and Ethan Garden worked a give-and-go on a 2-on-2.
Greentree finished the play to make it 5-2 Spits after 40 minutes.
“I was really happy with our first 35 minutes,” Dean said.
“We controlled the game for the first 35 minutes,” Allard added. “The first 20, and then the first 35, that was some of the best hockey I’ve seen from the team this season.”
Spits head coach Greg Walters, whose club improved to 25-7-2-1, credited the Hounds with a strong showing for the first 35 minutes.
“But with the skill set we have, we’re dangerous,” he said. “And our talent came through for the last five minutes.”
Walters, whose club was outshot 38-30, also called the four quick goals “a gamebreaker.”
Trailing 7-3 in the third, the Hounds began a valiant comeback attempt. Marco Mignosa, at 7:48, Hunter Solomon, at 8:26 and Allard, at 14:45, trimmed the Soo’s deficit to 7-6.
But Greentree thwarted the comeback hopes scoring his second goal at 17:40.
Davis, who finished with three goals and an assist, added two late goals. The second was into an empty net.
“I’m proud of our guys, 100 per cent,” Allard said of the comeback attempt. “It’s tough to rally against a team like that.”
“As a team, we scrapped for all 60,” Dean added. “That was impressive. We gave ourselves a chance to come back and win a game.”
Greentree finished with two goals and an assist while Ilya Protas had a goal and two helpers.
Ryan Abraham and Jack Nesbitt also scored for the winners.
Jordan Charron, with his fourth of the season, opened the Soo scoring. Travis Hayes, off a beautiful stretch pass by Gillen, notched his 10th with a slick shot that beat Spits rookie netminder Jake Windbiel.
That put the Soo up 2-1 midway through the second period.
Allard and Justin Cloutier finished with a goal and an assist each. Rookies Erik Muxlow, Chase Reid and Carson Andrew notched two assists each.
