THREE STARS: ONE LAST LOOK AT 2022
(by Mario Bruni, Photo: James ‘Jeep’ DiCioccio / Erie Otters)
Erie, Pennsylvania – The final three games of 2022 for the Erie Otters saw the team hit the road for a pair against familiar foes, before returning home for the long-awaited return of the New Year’s Eve classic. As the Otters look to begin the New Year and halfway point of the OHL season, we look back on the play from the team that finished last year.
Erie started off the week in the Budweiser Gardens to face the rival London Knights. Despite a gritty, hard-fought effort Erie would fall to the Knights 4-2. The Otters would turn to the weekend to see if they could end their six-game losing streak. Erie would receive their answer Friday night at the Meridian Centre against Niagara in overtime, scoring four unanswered to take a 4-3 victory. Erie would return home on the last day of the year hosting the IceDogs, as Niagara would get revenge with a 5-3 win.
With the road and overall losing streaks snapped, we look back at the players that made it happen.
THIRD STAR: NOAH SEDORE
The winger had himself a week, grabbing five points (2G+3A) in the three games. Noah Sedore started his week in London with a goal, collecting the pad deflection off Ondrej Molnar’s shot. #74 would also see an assist, finding an open Kaleb Smith who would record his fifth goal of the season.
Friday in Niagara saw another assist for Sedore. Down 3-0 in the final seconds of first period on the power play, Sedore would pass the puck from the corner to Carey Terrance on the far side to start the Erie scoring.
#74 would end the week of play with another two-point night. Sedore would score a goal off the sticks of Spencer Sova and Artyom Kulakov as well as record an assist off a Sam Alfano goal.
The overage forward turned on the burners when the team needed him the most and looks to continue to stay hot in the New Year.
SECOND STAR: ONDREJ MOLNAR
The 2022 #5 overall CHL Import Draft pick continues to play well in his first games in the OHL, as Ondrej Molnar has maintained his point-per-game debut.
Molnar would start the week in London with an assist off a Noah Sedore goal. #96 would finally get his first goal of the season on Friday in Niagara, intercepting the puck off an IceDog defenseman and firing a shot into the back of the net.
In his OHL home debut, Molnar would continue the terrific start recording an assist once again off a Sedore goal. With his first five games played for the Otters, Molnar has found five points (1G+4A). Expectations were high for the Slovakian forward, and all that was advertised has came to fruition.
FIRST STAR: FULL TEAM ON FRIDAY
Friday in Niagara was a critical one for the team going into 2023. With the Otters losing to Knights on Wednesday, Erie was winless in six-straight games, and hadn’t found a road win since November 4. The team needed a win – and especially a road victory.
With the first period coming to a close at the Meridian Centre, things looked grim for the Otters, trailing 3-0. Erie had no concern despite the score, as the team that would come together to score three unanswered goals to tie the game. Goals would be scored by Carrey Terrance with five seconds left in the first on the power play, and third period marks by Ondrej Molnar and Bruce McDonald with assists from Sedore, Cameron Morton, and Nathan Sauder. The gutty comeback would force overtime for Erie’s first point since December 3.
Erie knew that they had already received at least a point, but they wanted more than just a consolation point and a mark in the OT/SO loss column. For the second time this season in overtime – enter Malcolm Spence. With just over three minutes gone by in the extra frame, his fantastic individualistic-effort in the offensive end – with the assist from goaltender Kyle Downey – would give Erie the 4-3 victory.
This was a huge win for the Erie team, sending them into the New Year with a win back on their side.
Erie returns to action in 2023 with a three-in-three to open January. Action starts off on the road in Guelph on Friday night at 7:30, before the team returns home for a pair on Saturday, January 7 for Winter Wonderland Night against the Storm, and Sunday Family Funday against the Sarnia Sting.