WEEKEND PREVIEW: Back Home for the Weekend

ERIE, Pennsylvania. — The Otters are home for good the rest of November, starting this stint in the EIA with a cross-conference rematch against the Barrie Colts on Friday evening. Their second and last time playing the Colts this season, Erie will look to capitalize on the home-ice advantage.

The Otters will follow Friday’s game with an in-conference rivalry, facing off against the Sarnia Sting for the first time this season. Currently sitting at ninth, just above Erie in the Western Conference, Saturday’s game is well within the Otters’ reach as they hope to get back in the win column. 

AHEC YEAH!

NWPA AHEC’s Weekend Preview brings the latest news, promotions, and what YOU need to know before YOU go further into the new year.

Northwest Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center is a non-profit organization committed to helping communities in Northwest Pennsylvania meet their primary health care needs and enhance the quality of health in our region, especially the rural and underserved communities.

‘AHEC’ maintains partnerships with community, government, and educational agencies and institutions that will connect students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health.

Head to nwpaahec.org to learn more or to apply!

 LAST TIME OUT

The Otters played a three-game series on the road last week, starting things off with a mid-week game in North Bay, then having a quick turnaround to Sudbury on Friday before closing the weekend with Oshawa Sunday afternoon. The Otters would go one-for-three, besting Sudbury in their final meeting of the season.

Starting things off against the Battalion on Thursday, both teams came out fast and aggressive, trading chances early on. The first period was tightly contested, with both teams’ defensive lines playing active roles. Erie’s captain, Gabriel Frasca, broke through for a shorthanded goal at the seven-minute mark; however, North Bay quickly responded with a tally from Jax Pereira to tie the game 1-1. Despite solid goaltending from Noah Erliden, North Bay outshot Erie 14-6 by the end of the period, keeping the game evenly poised heading into the middle frame.

The second period saw more back-and-forth action, with Ryder Carey giving North Bay a brief 2-1 lead before Michael Dec answered with a solo effort to even the score at 2-2. Nolan Laird would reclaim the lead for the Battalion with a quick goal off the faceoff, and that 3-2 margin held into the final period. Erie pushed hard in the third, pulling Erliden late for an extra attacker, but North Bay sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Ethan Procyszyn. The Battalion dominated the shot count 36-22, leaving Erie to regroup quickly for their next game in Sudbury.

The Otters had a huge turnaround the following evening, not only geographically, but playing wise as well. Sudbury opened the first period with immediate force, scoring twice in four minutes through Artem Gonchar, with both goals assisted by Brayden Bennett. Erie refused to fold, shifting their pace and responding with two quick goals from Dylan Edwards, who sparked momentum with a rebound finish and a sharp backhand that caught the Wolves off guard. The period closed tied 2-2, with Erie controlling the shot count 11-6 and carrying renewed energy into the second.

The Otters surged ahead in the middle frame, taking their first lead when Gabriel Frasca converted on the power play off setups from Michael Dec and Tristan Trevino. With Charlie Burns steadying the crease after a chaotic opening period, Erie protected the lead and entered the third ahead 3-2 while outshooting Sudbury 25-19. The final period saw Erie tighten their grip: Frasca added his second of the night, Dec restored a two-goal cushion after Sudbury briefly cut the deficit, and a late empty-netter from Trevino sealed a commanding 6-3 victory. Erie outshot Sudbury 37-27, heading into Sunday’s matchup on a strong high.

To close out the last road trip of November, the matchup between Erie and Oshawa opened slowly, with both teams struggling to generate real chances. Oshawa eventually found some rhythm midway through the first, but Noah Erliden was a wall in the crease, turning away all 12 shots he faced, including dangerous looks on the power play, to keep things scoreless after twenty minutes. Despite Oshawa’s slight edge in shots, neither side could break through as they entered the second period hungry for the first goal.

Both teams pushed harder in the middle frame, but the stalemate held until Oshawa’s Harrison Franssen finally converted on the Generals’ 23rd shot to make it 1-0 late in the period. Erie couldn’t take advantage of two power plays and then faced a major setback when Brett Hammond was handed a five-minute major, forcing the Otters to kill penalties into the third. Erie battled hard in the final period, killing off both penalties and pushing for the equalizer, but Oshawa tightened up defensively and held on for the 1-0 win. Shots finished 39-27 in favor of the Generals.

Small Biz, Big Weekend!

Kicking the weekend of with a duel-themed night, we’ve got another 3-2-1 Friday, where fans can enjoy $3 Labatt Blue Light, $2 hot dogs, and $1 popcorn until the start of the third period, as well as Children’s Grief Awareness + Family Game Night (pres. by Highmark Caring Place), where fans in attendance will have the opportunity to win a virtual reality headset! The following evening, the EIA will be putting on Small Business Night as the Otters host Sarnia. 

WHO TO WATCH

Named one of the OHL Players of the Week as of Wednesday afternoon, Michael Dec has been making a name for himself in Erie since making the move from Owen Sound. Dec has tallied five goals and three assists in his seven games with the Otters, earning his time on the ice and contributing largely to the Otters scoring efforts.

Secondly, in Fridays win over Sudbury, Tristen Trevino tallied one goal and two assists, playing a massive role in a well deserved Otters win. His first year in the OHL the defenseman has been a keystone player for the Otters this season.

KNOW THE FOE

Coming off back-to-back wins, the Barrie Colts will be coming into Erie on a high-note. Similarly to the last time these two teams face off in Barrie back on November first, Its Kashawn Aitcheson leading the scoring efforts for Barrie, now having netted 15 goals on the season. He is closely followed by Brad Gardiner, who has 13. With three players on the roster all totaling over 24 points, holding off the Colts offense will be critical for the Otters in Fridays matchup.

The Sting, out of Sarnia, are ranked just above the Otters in the Western Conference, having won six games and lost 11 this season. Most recently, having lost 5-2 against Kingston, the Sting will be looking to get back in the win column in Erie this Saturday. Sarnia’s poor record this season does not necessarily reflect their scoring efforts this season as it has been a successful one for a few individual players. Beckham Edwards and Easton Walos have been doing the heavy lifting scoring-wise, each having found the back of the net nine times this season. A very achievable win for Erie, it will be crucial for the Otters to play their game in order to earn it.

HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, & FOLLOW ALONG

The new home of Otters hockey is Flo Hockey!

Delivering a high-quality viewing experience, Flo Hockey provides access to more than 700 OHL games, and games from the QMJHL, AHL, ECHL, and more, streamed across a range of platforms including PC and Tablet on Safari and Google Chrome web browsers, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices.

Fans can also see the NHL’s stars of tomorrow on the Amazon Fire, Apple T,V and Roku platforms – right from the comfort of their homes!

For more information, head to flohockey.tv!

:

• PC and/or Tablet on Safari and Google Chrome web browsers
• iOS / Android mobile devices.
• Amazon Fire
• Apple TV
• Roku platforms

Flo Hockey provides live game action all season long, plus free-to-access video-on-demand content and a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. For more information, head to flohockey.tv.

 

LISTEN

Listen to Otters Hockey all across Erie County with iHeart Media Erie and the Otters broadcast network!

Every game can feel like a home game as a fan with the Otters Radio Network. With live-game broadcasts of all 68 Regular Season games, fans can always hear the action as it happens. Thanks to the Broadcast Home for Otters Hockey, iHeart Media Erie, fans can listen to every game LIVE on the iHeart App from ANYWHERE in the world! From Pennsylvania to Transylvania and everywhere in between, you’ll always be in range to hear Otters Hockey.

• iHeart Media(Erie, PA) is the Flagship Station for the Otters on WJET 1400 AM, and home to Otters Hockey in Pennsylvania. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 96.7 FM/1400 AM in Erie and the surrounding communities of NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on the iHeart App.

FOLLOW ALONG

If you want to follow along in real-time to the weekend’s games, make sure you’re following the Otters on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From live tweets of the action, scoring updates, photos, and highlights, the Otters’ social media is the best way to keep up with the team wherever they are.

UP NEXT

The Otters will continue to finish the month out at home, playing Wednesday and Saturday to close out November play.