EC3 WEEKEND PREVIEW: The Penultimate Week Propels Erie Forward
Erie, Pennsylvania – For the first time since 2017, the Erie Otters have clinched a spot in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs – but Erie isn’t finished with the regular season yet.
It’s the first of the final six games in the Otters’ regular season, and they’ll start at home with the London Knights on Wednesday. After playing London, the Otters will hit the road and travel to Niagara to play the IceDogs, and they’ll return home once again on Saturday to face the Saginaw Spirit.
Let’s jump right into the penultimate week!
FREE TUITION IS IN BLOOM
The new class of EC3 was welcomed with free Tuition in October – but now is the time to look ahead to the Spring Session!
With flexible online and in-person educational opportunities all across Erie County, EC3 is working to educate around your schedule. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Is an associate’s degree or certificate worth it?” — the answer is a resounding “yes!” Whether your goal is to increase your employable skills in the short term or build toward a more advanced degree in the long term, an associate’s degree or certificates can serve as a stepping stone both academically and professionally.
It’s not too early to apply! For more information on Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania – including their free Spring Tuition – head to EC3PA.org.
LAST TIME OUT
Not much happened last week… just the Otters punching their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
In last week’s back-to-back weekend series with the Owen Sound Attack, both games extended into OT and Sunday’s game was decided by a shootout. On Saturday, the Otters grabbed one point in the OT loss, which came to a 4-3 decision in the final eight seconds of overtime. It was a moment of deja vu on Sunday as a thrilling back-and-forth game trickled into a deadlocked over time, but this game went one step further and into a shootout, where the Attack would once again prevail.
While not the results that Erie was looking for, points are points and these ones helped them clinch the playoffs – and extended their point-streak to five-straight games.
AROUND THE ARENA
Wednesday is Women’s Empowerment Night (pres. by Erie Women’s Empowerment) and the Otters are proud to uplift the next generation of women. There will be a women-owned business Vendor Fair around the concourse on the Otters’ night of celebration. Keep your eye on the video board and social media all evening for uplfiting and inspiring messages from women leaders.
It’s a St. Patrick’s Celebration on Saturday in Erie! Fans can enjoy the St. Patrick’s Parade downtown before coming to the Erie Insurance Arena to watch your Erie Otters in specialty-themed warmup jerseys that will be auctioned off post-game. This is always a night of luck and fun – don’t miss the holiday affair!
WHO TO WATCH
Dylan Edwards racked up five points on the Owen Sound weekend, with three goals and two assists. He was awarded with Second Star honors in both games for his commanding performances.
Pano Fimis was an assisting machine against Owen Sound, with five assists and one goal of his own. Fimis was involved in six of the nine Otters goals scored on the weekend.
KNOW THE FOE
The London Knights were recently named Midwest Division champions and have won two of their last three games. They beat both Kitchener and Sarnia at home with scores of 4-1 and 6-1 before losing to the Guelph Storm 5-4. Players to watch for the Knights include Easton Cowan, with two goals and three assists across his last three games, and Denver Barkley, who had one goal and five assists in the last week.
The Niagara IceDogs are currently on an eight-game losing streak after a 7-1 loss to the Ottawa 67s and a 7-5 loss to Peterborough. Players to watch for the IceDogs include Ryan Roobroeck, who had three goals and two assists in the last three games for the Icedogs, and Gavin Bryant, with one goal and four assists in his last three games.
The Saginaw Spirit, top in the West Division with 94 points, won their last two games with a 7-2 win over the Kingston Frontenacs and a 6-0 shutout victory over the Guelph Storm. Players to watch for the Spirit include goaltender Andrew Oke, who had a shutout and 52 saves off 55 shots in his last two games, and Josh Bloom, with three goals and three assists in his last three games.
HOW TO WATCH, LISTEN, & FOLLOW ALONG
WATCH:
“OHL Live” is the Ontario Hockey League’s broadcast home on CHL TV! OHL Live delivers a high-quality viewing experience while providing access to more than 700 OHL games streamed across a range of platforms including:
- PC and/or Tablet on Safari and Google Chrome web browsers
- iOS / Android mobile devices.
- Amazon Fire
- Apple TV
- Roku platforms
For less than $2/game, OHL Live 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 watch.chl.ca/ohl!
LISTEN:
Listen to Otters Hockey all across Lake Erie on the league’s largest radio network! The Otters Radio Network gives fans the most-accessible and highest-quality way to experience every moment of Otters’ game night – from pregame to postgame.
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.
The Otters Radio Network is larger than ever before on terrestrial & digital radio – from Southeast Michigan to Southwest New York!
- 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 surrounding communities of NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on the iHeart App.
- Media One Radio Group – Ohio (Ashtabula, OH) is home to Otters Hockey in Ohio on ESPN 970 WFUN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 970 AM in Ashtabula and surrounding communities of Northeast Ohio and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WFUN’s website.
- Media One Radio Group – New York (Jamestown, NY) is home to Otters Hockey in New York State on Legends 1340 WKSN. Games can be heard on terrestrial radio on 1340 AM in Jamestown and surrounding communities of Southwest New York and NWPA, or can be livestreamed worldwide on WKSN’s website.
- ESPN Radio Michigan Regional Sports Network (Flint, MI) is home to Otters Hockey in Michigan. Games can be livestreamed worldwide on MRSN’s website.
Fans can also listen to the game on any of the Otters’ four radio-homes on the Listen Live page. The Otters Hockey Pregame Show starts 20 minutes prior to puck drop, hosted by the Voice of the Otters, Shawn Bednard.
Make sure to tune in weekdays from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Fox Sports 1330, Happi 92.7 FM, WERG 90.5 FM, 106.3 FM WCTL, Kinzua County 104.3 FM (Warren, PA), Channel 98.9 FM & Sunny 105.7 FM (Corry, PA), FOX Sports Radio Oil City 1120 & 104.1 FM (Oil City), ESPN 970 WFUN (Ashtabula, OH), WKSN 1340 AM & WQFX 103.1 (Jamestown, NY), and ESPN Radio MRSN (Flint, MI) to hear the ‘Otters Daily Update’, giving you all the insight on your Otters.
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, Otters’ social media is the best way to keep up with the team wherever they are.
UP NEXT
Can you believe it? It’s the final three games in the regular season for the Otters.
The Otters will be on the road Wednesday and Thursday, playing first the Flint Firebirds and then the Saginaw Spirit, before returning home on Saturday for the last regular season game against the Kitchener Rangers.
Saturday’s game will also be our Fan Appreciation Night (pres. by Plyler Entry Systems) for the best fans in the OHL! Enjoy giveaways all night long as we celebrate YOU on our final night of regular season hockey as we gear up for playoffs. The first 1500 fans in the arena will receive a free 2023-24 Erie Otters Team Poster (pres. by Plyler Entry Systems).
Stay Informed:
Keep up-to-date with the latest Erie Otters news by visiting OttersHockey.com, or follow along on social media with the Otters Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
About the Erie Otters:
The Erie Otters are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the Otters have a rich history of excellence both on and off the ice. The team is committed to creating memorable experiences for its fans and contributing to the growth and well-being of the Erie community.
For further information on the Erie Otters and for media inquiries, please contact Shawn Bednard at [email protected].
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