6-goal output by the IceDogs takes down the Wolves on Sunday afternoon
ST. CATHARINES, ON – The IceDogs welcomed in the Sudbury Wolves for a Sunday afternoon meeting between Central Division foes. Today’s game commemorated Black History Month with specialty designed jerseys by IceDogs alumni Akil Thomas and his Zale clothing line which would be auctioned off for charity following the game.
Thanks to a big performance from goaltender Owen Flores and contributions from four different goal scorers, the IceDogs were able to take this one in front of a ruckus crown of 5,034 at the Meridian Centre.
Starting Goaltenders: Owen Flores (NIAG), Kevyn Brassard (SBY)
No scoring until late in the opening period when the IceDogs capitalized on their third powerplay of the period as Bronson Ride jumped in on the play and redirected the touch pass for the goal with the assist going to Daniel Michaud.
Sudbury would tie the game very late into the period on the cross-ice pass that was tipped in past Flores with the goal going to Villeneuve as the IceDogs goal scorer stopped 9 of the first 10 shots of the game. The Wolves would take the lead before the ending of the period and be up going into the break as Yearwood potted in the goal.
Just before the 10-minute mark of the middle period, a takeaway by the William Hull of the IceDogs at the Sudbury line resulted in the Swiss import going in on Brassard and scoring on the backhand for his second goal of the season, tying the game at two apiece.
Declan Waddick would fire a puck off an Andrew LeBlanc pass in the right slot that beat Brassard to give the IceDogs the lead with two goals in the middle period to take the lead. Waddick’s first game back from suspension, making an immediate impact. Niagara went in to the room holding a 3-2 lead.
The IceDogs would capitalize once again on the powerplay with just over 5 minutes remaining in regulation as Daniel Michaud would tip in the point shot from Jacob LeBlanc to extend Niagara’s lead to two goals.
Sudbury would pull the goaltender with three minutes remaining in regulation needing a pair of goals to tie it up. The IceDogs would tac on two more in the empty net as Valdemar William Hull and Declan Waddick would both have multi-goal nights.
Owen Flores stopped 49 of 51 Sudbury shots in the victory. Niagara will be back at it tomorrow for another afternoon game in Oshawa to face the Generals on Family Day.
Three Stars
- NIAG Owen Flores (49 saves)
- NIAG Declan Waddick (2 goals)
- NIAG Valdemar William Hull (2 goals)
Team Stats
Powerplay: NIAG: 2/7, SBY: 0/4
Shots: NIAG: 23, SBY: 51
Goal Scorers
- NIAG B.Ride (4), A: D. Michaud
- SBY: N. Villeneuve, A: E. Konyan, D. Toure
- SBY: N. Yearwood, A: A. Anania
- NIAG: V. William Hull (2) Unassisted
- NIAG D. Waddick (19) A: A. LeBlanc, N. Ribau
- NIAG D. Michaud (18), A: J. LeBlanc, A. Assadourian
- NIAG V. William Hull (3) Empty Net
- NIAG D. Waddick (20) VanNetten
