Hounds start with shootout win in Sudbury
Over a week since the Soo Greyhounds completed their training camp, the defending Western Conference Champions finally got to open their pre-season play on Thursday.
The Hounds travelled East to Sudbury to take on the Wolves with eight rookies in the line-up and would pick up a 4-3 shootout victory.
Scoring opened less than two minutes into the first period when second-year forward ZACK TROTT (Assists to Cole MacKay and Cullen McLean) fired high overtop Jake McGrath for the 1-0 lead that lasted through the opening twenty minutes.
After Eric Eschweiler pulled Sudbury even just before the midway point of the second, Quinton Byfield gave the Wolves the lead just under five minutes later.
That lead that lasted until the final minute when the Hounds ALEX JOHNSTON (6th Round, 2017) with forty-nine seconds to go in the period, netted the tying goal on the powerplay.
Brett Jacklin and Rory Kerins provided the helpers.
The Northern Ontario rivals headed into the dressing room tied 2-2 after two periods of play.
Sudbury’s Nolan Hutcheson was assessed a major penalty for checking to the head less than a minute into the third period resulting in a lengthy powerplay for the visitors.
Less than a minute into the man advantage, ZACK TROTT notched his second goal of the night to regain the Greyhounds lead, now 3-2.
Sudbury’s Anthony Tabak countered with lone powerplay goal of the game just past the midway point as the teams then skated the rest of the way scoreless, forcing a shootout.
With each team sitting with a goal in the shootout, it came to the fifth round when DOMINIC MUFARREH (7th Round, 2018) notched the game-winner for the Hounds.
Rookie netminder ETHAN TAYLOR (9th Round, 2017) started the contest for the Hounds making 17 saves on 18 shots in 29:47 of play, before TYLER JOHNSON went the rest of the way (30:13) making 20 saves on 22 shots faced in regulation and 4-out-of-5 in the shootout.
To view the OHL Boxscore CLICK HERE.
These same two teams complete the pre-season when they square off at GFL Memorial Gardens this coming Sunday, September 16.
Game time is 7:07 PM.
Tickets are available by visiting the SK Group Box Office (inside the Gardens), by visiting www.gflgardens.ca or by phone at 1.866.775.9422.
