Hounds win in trip finale
Story by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo courtesy of Sam Buschbeck
They opened a 3-0 lead in the first 25 minutes on Saturday and were dominant when they needed to be in the final frame.
The result for the Soo Greyhounds was a well-earned 5-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack, in front of 3,044 at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
“Our guys were very workmanlike and diligent, especially in the third,” said head coach John Dean, whose club snapped a two-game losing streak, while salvaging the final game of a three-game road trip. “The guys had something to prove. There was incentive for them to be good tonight.”
The Hounds came in after dropping a 6-3 decision in London on Friday, following a 4-3 shootout loss in Flint on Wednesday.
“We were very fast in the first and we shut them down in the third,” added overage Jacob Frasca, whose club held a 16-5 edge in shots in the final period, while improving to 43-17-3-2.
That moves them to within five points of Saginaw (47-16-1-1) in the West Division battle for first place.
The Spirit lost 5-4 in Erie on Saturday. Both clubs have three regular season games remaining and the Hounds, due to the fact Saginaw holds the tie-breaker (combined regulation and overtime victories), would need to make up six points to finish in top spot.
With the Soo’s lead cut to 3-2 after 40 minutes, overage Jack Beck said Dean spoke to his players in hopes of changing their mindset.
“Deaner said: ‘Imagine we had been down 2-1 and made it 3-2 going into the third,’” Beck explained. “He said that we’d be super confident, and that helped us.”
Protecting that one-goal lead in the final frame, Frasca scored a huge power-play marker to give his team some breathing room.
Beck found Frasca at the side of the goal and the veteran wheeled before beating netminder Carter George high to the glove side. The man-advantage marker, Frasca’s 16th, made it 4-2 with 5:25 left in regulation.
Gavin Hayes added an empty-netter at the 16:24 mark.
“It was a time in the game where we needed a big goal,” said Frasca, whose club held a 46-28 edge in shots. “Beck is the best passer in the league. He’s very elite and very skilled and, obviously, a pass-first player.”
Once Frasca had the puck, he said he “knew I was going to take it myself and go to the net.”
Beck called Frasca “the best net-front man in the league.”
He also noted how the lanky winger has impressive hands for a man his size.
“That’s a big one for us,” Dean said of the insurance marker. “Anytime you’re pressing like that with a one-goal lead, there’s still a bit of nerves. Scoring that goal gave us a sense of relief.”
The Hounds got rolling by scoring twice on breakaways over a span of 4:42 in the first period. Bryce McConnell-Barker got behind the defence and Hayes made a slick feed to create the scoring chance.
The Soo captain went high to the glove aside on George for his 21stgoal, and the visitors led 1-0 at 10:41.
With the Hounds shorthanded, Kirill Kudryavtsev sprung Owen Allard at the 15:23 mark after George’s attempt to fire the puck up ice failed to connect.
Allard went forehand-backhand, slipping the puck through the five-hole for his 18th.
The Hounds centre had gone seven straight without scoring, but this goal gave the Soo a 2-0 lead.
Christopher Brown made it 3-0 early in the second, skating through the slot and beating George on the glove side.
But the Attack bounced back with two goals in a span of 48 seconds before the period ended.
Servac Petrovsky redirected a Braedyn Rogers shot past Landon Miller at 8:23, before Jackson Stewart’s feed resulted in a Declan Waddick, making it 3-2 marker at 9:11.
Dean and his players raved over the work of Miller.
The coach called the goalie “arguably the best player on the ice from the drop of the puck.”
Beck spoke of how Mills was “unreal” on Saturday.
“He doesn’t get enough credit,” Beck added. “He’s an unbelievable goalie, so big and so rangy.”
Having played their final road contest of the regular season, the Soo returns home for its final three games.
Sarnia visits GFL Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, followed by Flint on Friday. Both are 7:07 p.m. starts. Saginaw plays here Sunday at 2:07 p.m.