Otters can’t weather the Storm
Guelph, Ontario – After dropping a three-goal lead Friday night against Niagara, the Otters came back from a three-goal deficit to force overtime before falling 4-3 in Guelph Saturday afternoon. Trent Fox scored two goals in the loss.
Justin Nichols controlled the score, but the Otters controlled a solid amount of the pace in the opening period. Despite the 18 shots the Otters put on net, Nichols kept everything out, leaving Erie scoreless through 20 minutes. Matt Hotchkiss struck first for Guelph, giving the Storm a 1-0 lead barely two minutes in. While it looked like the one-goal lead would carry into intermission, Marc Stevens put the puck on the net with a 3-on-2 and delayed Erie penalty, putting Guelph up 2-0 into the break.
Erie bounced back in the second period. When Luke Cairns put the Storm up 3-0, Daniel Dekoning went to the bench in favor of Jake Lawr. Down – but not out – Fox came in and found the back of the net to put the Otters on the board, Kyle Pettit picking up the lone assist. The Otters weren’t done. A minute later, Nick Betz went on the attack with Dylan Strome and Nick Baptiste and brought Erie within one on a big effort from the line, closing out the second.
By the halfway point of the third period, Nichols had turned away 38 of 40 shots, effectively frustrating the Otters. But Lawr did well in his own end, stopping the Storm from blowing through his crease. With time ticking down in the final frame, Fox picked up his second goal of the night from Troy Donnay, tying the game at three. Goaltending continued to be the trent to finish out the third, both goalies putting in a nice effort to put the game in overtime.
The extra time looked like it would belong to the Otters with a nice chance in front of Nichole, but Tyler Bertuzzi got the puck to Chris Marchese who found the top shelf and closed out the first half of the season.
The Otters put 51 shots on Nichols, giving the Guelph goaltender a monstrous workload. Fox’s two goals were his fourth and fifth of the season, while Betz notched his 16th. Lawr made six saves on seven shots in his first OHL game.
Erie comes back from the Christmas break on Sunday, Dec. 28 in Kitchener before meeting Guelph in Erie on New Year’s Eve at 6 p.m.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 Ironmen of the Game:
3. Trent Fox – 2G
2. Chris Marchese – 1G (OT winner)
1. Justin Nichols – 48 saves
