Otters Rally for a Point, Fall in Overtime 7-6
London, Ontario – The Erie Otters rallied after a slow start to pick up a point in a barn burner at the Budweiser Gardens where the London Knights prevailed 7-6 in overtime.
The Knights rolled to start the hockey game, keeping the ice tilted into the Erie zone as they outshot the Otters 16-5 in the opening frame. London picked up goals from Nathan Dunkley, Jonathan Gruden, and Alec Regula to take a 3-0 lead into the intermission.
The Otters got a spark early in the second frame with goals 16 seconds apart from Hayden Fowler and Mathew MacDougall to draw Erie within one goal. Gruden would answer for London to reestablish the two-goal lead, but Erie wasn’t finished as they answered with another duo of goals, this time from Kurtis Henry and Emmett Sproule to even the game at four. The Knights would once again grab the lead late in the second period as Connor McMichael would find himself all alone in front of the Erie net with the puck on his stick, making no mistake to beat Aidan Campbell for a 5-4 lead through 40 minutes.
Erie once again game out rolling as Henry would tie the game 1:24 into the third with his second goal of the game, his first two goal game of his OHL career. Moments later Daniel D’Amato would wrap around the net on a rush to tuck in his eighth goal of the season, and third goal in as many games, to hand their Otters their first lead of the hockey game 6-5. London would use a late power play opportunity to pull their goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage and eventually tie the game at six with 1:05 left in regulation as McMichael netted his second of the game.
Erie collected a point for a fourth straight game, but it would be London skating away with the extra one as Connor McMichael completed the hat trick to end the game in overtime with a 7-6 Knights victory.
Erie heads home to face the reigning Eastern Conference champion Ottawa 67’s Saturday night at 7pm for Military Appreciation Night.
Single game tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale now. Erie Otters season tickets and flex packages are also available and can be purchased in person at the Erie Otters front office located at 201 E. 8th Street in Erie, or by calling 814-455-7779. For the latest Otters news, visit www.ottershockey.com, or follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/erieottershockey), Twitter (@ErieOtters) and Instagram (@ErieOtters).
