THREE STARS: Goals Galore In Erie Victories
Erie, Pennsylvania – After a postponed game on Wednesday against the Barrie Colts, the Otters got back to their regularly scheduled program for the rest of the weekend – albeit with some time delays!
On Friday with a road trip to a top-ranked Kitchener team, Erie battled tough but fell in a tough 6-2 decision. Back on home ice on Saturday against the Flint Firebirds with a 7:45 puck drop, the Otters won with a commanding 7-2 victory with five different goal scorers and a hat trick. In the third-annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Game, Erie would down Sarnia 5-2 to pick up consecutive wins against the Sting.
Here are the players who made the week possible.
THIRD STAR – OWAIN JOHNSON
Defensemen Owain Johnson got to strut his offensive abilities in back-to-back games this weekend.
After just over 11 minutes in the second frame on Saturday, Johnson set Dylan Edwards up for the go-ahead goal on the night to make the score 4-2. Eight minutes later with a four-on-four matchup after dual roughing penalties for both teams, Johnson went on to score a goal of his own to rack the score up to 5-2 and earn himself second star honors on the night and for the week.
On Monday afternoon, with Erie rolling just five defensemen after Alexis Daviault was given a match penalty, Owain Johnston would fire a puck down the length of the ice for the empty-net goal and the insurance Erie needed.
“Johnny” has been a defensive force this season, and seeing the alternate captain pick up points and goals goes a long way for Erie’s offensive efforts.
SECOND STAR – DYLAN EDWARDS
Our hats off to you, Dylan Edwards! Literally. A bevy of hats littered the ice as Edwards bagged his first career OHL hat trick against the Flint Firebirds on Saturday night.
The weekend started for Edwards in Kitchener on Friday, when Edwards would secure his fourth goal of the season.
Edwards put his stamp on the Saturday game 90 seconds into the second frame, where his first goal of the night put Erie on top of the Flint Firebirds, 2-1. His second goal came ten minutes later to make the score 4-2 and score what would turn out to be the insurance goal in the night’s victory. The third and final goal, and his seventh of the season, came from a beauty right off the face-off four minutes into the third frame.
Moving into the helper role on Monday afternoon, Edwards would pick up his first two assists of the season – as well as a +2 on the evening – in an Erie victory.
After starting the season off in the Jr. A level and gaining tremendous confidence, Edwards is grabbing the OHL by the horns and showing everyone who’s boss.
FIRST STAR – PANO FIMIS
With a goal and eight assists in three games, Pano Fimis had a most commanding week.
Friday against the top-ranked Kitchener Rangers, Fimis scored the first goal of the game for the Otters off a power play at the start of the second frame to knot the score up 1-1. Twelve minutes later, he and Matthew Schaefer would tee up Dylan Edwards for the second goal of the night for Erie before the Otters eventually fell 6-2.
Fimis had a hand in over half of the goals scored against the Flint Firebirds, with four assists on the night.
His first of the game came in the second frame, when he partnered with Nicholas Holomego to set up Dylan Edwards for his first goal of the night.
With a tight 3-2 score in the middle of the second period, Fimis would go on to have a hand in the next three straight goals, helping to set up Edwards twice more and Owain Johnson for his second goal of the season.
Once again sticking back in the helper role on Monday afternoon – and centering the Aly/Fimmer/Eddy Line that stole all three stars for the game – Fimis would set up three separate goals and earn three points and a +3.
Fimis continues to age gracefully as his Otter career continues – proving to be a major trade steal from the 2022-23 season.
It’s on the road again for the Erie Otters for the next four games, as the team takes its only trip up north in the 2023-24 season to battle North Bay/Sudbury/Soo on the road. Erie will make its only trip to Oshawa on Friday, January 26 before finally returning home for the long-awaited Star Wars Night (pres. by the Millcreek Mall) against the London Knights on Saturday, January 27.
