Hounds commit ‘catastrophic’ miscues
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo courtesy of Natasa Corfield
Unforced errors were more than just upsetting for the visiting team.
They sealed the Soo Greyhounds fate on Thursday.
Whether they were taking penalties, blowing assignments or turning pucks over, the Hounds fell behind early and gave themselves little chance, dropping a 7-2 decision to the Niagara IceDogs in front of 2,591 at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
“We cannot have these catastrophic mistakes,” said head coach John Dean, whose club was short-handed for almost the entire first half of the opening period, while falling to 12-10-0-0, heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. start in Erie. “This is our first game in a while where we made some really, really big mistakes that cost us.”
“It’s unfortunate we made too many mistakes,” added winger Marco Mignosa, who watched his team skate off trailing 4-0 after the opening period. “Mental mistakes and bad choices hurt us.”
Dean lamented the fact his club “gave up way too many odd-man rushes.”
Asked about the first period penalties, there were a couple Dean thought were somewhat iffy.
However, he also spoke of not trying to “re-ref the game by any means.”
Dean said the Hounds players needed to realize “everything is being called. We have to be disciplined, we have to control our sticks. You can’t spend the first 10 minutes in the box.”
Owners of a 5-on-3 powerplay, the IceDogs connected first, scoring at the 6:29 mark. Ethan Czata fed Andrei Loshko in the slot and his one-timer beat Landon Miller on the glove side. It was Loshko’s first of three on the night.
Just under five-minutes later, Christopher Brown turned the puck over in his own zone and Mike Levin fed Ivan Galiyanov in front. He scored on the glove side to make it 2-0.
Six-minutes after that, Niagara scored on the rush as the Soo blew an assignment. Braidy Wassilyn fed Levin, who was all alone on the right wing. He scored on the stick side to give the home side a 3-0 advantage.
At 18:38, Galiyanov whistled one off the cross-bar and Loshko deposited the rebound on the stick side.
Loshko made it 5-0 at 10:28 of the middle frame. He was alone at the right side of the goal when he cut in front and scored on the stick side.
That brought an end to the night for Miller, who had very little support. Charlie Schenkel came on in relief.
Marco Mignosa got the Soo on the board just 34 seconds into the final frame. Jordan Charron recorded his first OHL point, feeding Mignosa, who beat Owen Flores with a one-timer from the top of the left circle.
Levin scored his second of three goals following a David Holub turnover to make it 6-1 before Tate Vader scored, registering his first point of the season. Charron also assisted on that marker.
Levin’s short-handed, empty-net goal capped the scoring. He finished with three goals and an assist while Galiyanov had a goal and two helpers. Both Czata and Ryan Roobroeck contributed three assists as the IceDogs improved to 14-7-0-0.
Despite the setback, the Soo did outshoot the home side 24-10 in the second period and 45-38 overall.
“The energy level our guys brought, the intensity we brought, our willingness to not give in, I’m super-excited about those things,” Dean said. “I can coach this team all day. I’m proud to be on the bench with these guys.”
In the final minute of the second period, Hounds winger Noel Nordh was hit, fell awkwardly into the boards and appeared to be favouring his right leg as he was helped from the ice. He didn’t return.
Dean said after the game Nordh would require X-rays before more is known about his status.
Andrew Gibson left the game in the third period as a precaution, the coach added. The veteran rearguard tripped over Schenkel and was helped from the ice in the middle stanza, but returned to start the third.
Brown returned from an upper-body injury on Thursday, but suffered a setback and left the game in the third.
Dean said the veteran centre would miss the remainder of the weekend.
Centre Owen Allard (upper-body injury) did not play. He’s listed as day-to-day.
Rookie defenceman Keegan Gillen is out due to illness.
“We have to just wash this game away,” Mignosa said when asked about preparations for the Erie contest. “We have to be ready to go on Friday.”
Following the Erie clash, the Hounds wrap up their trip on Sunday in Brampton (2 p.m.)
