THREE STARS: Homecoming Stars Shine for Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania – A star-studded return home would await the Erie Otters, as the team officially began the home portion of the 2023-24 Ontario Hockey League season.
The season-opening weekend began in Mississauga for a Friday night road contest. The Otters were faced with a powerful offensive force from the Steelheads in a 5-0 loss, with the opposition scoring the game-winning goal only 18 seconds into the first period.
In the much-anticipated Home Opener, the Otters fought valiantly in a 5-3 loss. Erie put up back-to-back goals in the second period to take a lead, but three goals from Mississauga in the third period would see the game to a close.
While Erie couldn’t come away with a win in their opening weekend, they fought hard until the very end. Here are the players who made a difference on the weekend.
THIRD STAR: PANO FIMIS
Pano Fimis, the second-year Otters center, put up two assists in the Home Opener, each one tying the game up for the Otters before the Steelheads pulled away. Fimis set up Ondrej Molnar in the first period to even the score in the first period and Martin Misiak for his first OHL goal in the second period. The alternate captain did his best to keep the Otters in the game on Saturday and will no doubt continue to impress in the 2023-2024 season.
SECOND STAR: ONDREJ MOLNAR
The Slovakian import player Ondrej Molnar had a two-point weekend with one goal and one assist in Saturday’s Home Opener. Molnar opened the scoring for the Otters and leveled the score after the Steelheads struck first ten minutes into the first period. He helped his fellow countrymen, Martin Misiak, strike gold on his first OHL goal in the second period to tie the score up yet again. After a stand-out preseason with seven points (5G+2A), the second-year Otter is only just getting started.
FIRST STAR: OTTERS NATION
There’s no place like home or, in this case, the Erie Insurance Arena. The Erie faithful dutifully packed the arena for the Home Opener to witness the return of the Ontario Hockey League and welcome their boys back home.
With festivities beginning four hours before the puck was set to drop, fans poured out of the woodwork for the inaugural Fan Fest to enjoy music, food, and Erie vendors. Fans witnessed their Otters walk down the red carpet and into the arena and greeted them with thunderous applause.
Nearly 5,000 fans flooded the Erie Insurance Arena to watch their team back in action. All 4,773 spectators made their voices heard to cheer on every goal, save, and shot throughout the back-and-forth gameplay. Despite the bitter end to the weekend, Otters Nation continued to cheer on their boys and will be just as hungry for revenge as the team is.
The Erie Otters return to action on Friday, October 6 in Guelph before heading north to Owen Sound on Saturday, October 7. These will be the team’s first games against divisional and conference foes in the 2023-24 season. Erie will have one more contest on the road – in Niagara on October 12 – before finally returning home on Saturday, October 14 against the Windsor Spitfires.
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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