Hats off to Otters 7-4 win
Erie, Pennsylvania – Remi Elie notched his first three goals as an Otter in Erie’s 7-4 win over the Kingston Frontenacs Friday night.
After a few chances for the opening goal to go to either side, Alex DeBrincat was the one to capitalize, tipping in a shot by Kurtis MacDermid after Connor McDavid won the face off. The second goal looked like it would come from Travis Dermott after a rocket went straight into Lucas Perissini’s glove, but that goal went to Quentin Maksimovich after younger brother Kyle put the puck in the crease and Quentin finished the play.
Robert Polesello had a chance in deep after a nice toe drag, but the puck trickled up against the post and bouncing away, keeping the Frontenacs off the board. With Sam Field in the box for kneeing, it looked like the Otters would take a three-goal lead. But a turnover gave Kingston a chance and Lawson Crouse found the back of the net shorthanded to close out the first.
After breaking the shutout, the Frontenacs went 20 minutes without another tally, but that wasn’t the case for the Otters. Elie scored his first as an Otter from Nick Betz and Dylan Strome, and the Frontenacs sent Jeremy Helvig to the net to take over for Peressini. After chances on the power play that refused to come to fruition, Betz passed to Kyle Pettit who took the shot, but Elie picked up the rebound and buried his second of the period for a 4-2 lead.
Elie started off the final period with a bang, capping off a natural hat trick for his first three goals as an Otter from Betz and Patrick Murphy. Kingston cut the celebration short with a goal from Polesello barely a minute later, making it 5-2. Erie answered back with a goal from Pettit, before, just over a minute later, Roland McKeown gave the Frontenacs another, and the Otters pulled Devin Williams in favor of Daniel Dekoning. The Otters found themselves in some penalty trouble late in the third with a steady procession of Kyle Maksimovich, DeBrincat, Troy Donnay, and Darren Raddysh giving the Frontenacs short bursts of 5 on 3 opportunities. With only Raddysh left in the box, Corey Pawley made it 6-4. Kingston pulled Helvig, and Taylor Raddysh fired the puck into the empty net from Donnay and Elie to finish off the 7-4 win.
Elie finished with four points on the night, and the Otters first hat trick since DeBrincat’s on Nov. 7 against Sarnia. Betz had three assists, and Pettit picked up two points with a goal and an assist. McDavid extended his point streak to seven games, and DeBrincat started a new goal scoring streak with two games.The Otters led the Frontenacs in shots 43-28.
The Otters welcome the North Bay Battalion Saturday night at 7 p.m. before finishing out January on the road.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 Ironmen of the Game:
3. Kyle Pettit – 1G, 1A
2. Nick Betz – 3A
1. Remi Elie – 3G, 1A
