That’s gotta sting : Trout comeback in Sarnia
Sarnia, ON – The Brampton Steeleheads edge the Sarnia Sting 3-2 in Porter Martone’s return to Sarnia.
The Steelheads were tested early when they found themselves on the penalty. A couple of key saves from Jack Ivankovic allowed the Trout to kill off the man advantage.
It would not take long for the Sting to break through, as they would find the icebreaker just under halfway through the opening frame. Veteran forward Tyson Doucette broke down the wing in a two-on-one rush, where he rifled one top shelf to take the lead.
Sarnia wasted no time, as they doubled their lead just two minutes later. Doucette carried the puck over the line before he dropped a pass for Alessandro Di Iorio. The second overall pick in the 2024 draft slid the puck to a streaking Hughston Hurt. The sophomore defender fired a shot just inside the post to make it 2-0.
The Sting looked to extend their lead even further in the final minute of the frame. Sarnia broke in on an odd-man rush. Ruslan Karimov played catch with Beckham Edwards before he unleashed a shot on goal, but Jack Ivankovic flashed the leather to shut down the opportunity.
The Steelheads came shot out of a cannon to start the second frame, as they scored just fifteen seconds in. Porter Martone picked up a drop pass from Carson Rehkopf at the line, where he fired a shot on goal. The puck pinballed off two Sting defenders before it made its way to Luke Misa out front, who tapped home the loose puck. Captain Porter Martone tallied his 150th OHL point on the play, and he could not pick a better place to reach the milestone than when he was visiting the team that drafted him.
The Trout top line was not done yet, as just a few minutes later the trio would connect for the game-tying goal. After a close play at the blue line, Misa threw the puck down low for Martone, where the captain hit a spin-o-rama to find Rehkopf in the slot. The Kraken prospect pulled the trigger on the Martone feed and blasted it by Evan Maillet to tie the game.
Sarnia came close to breaking the tie when Ryan Brown slipped down the right wing before he sent a cross-crease feed to Zach Filak. The overage forward quickly redirected the puck on goal, but a sprawling Ivankovic came across to deny the chance.
The Trout beat the buzzer when they took the lead with just fifteen seconds left in the frame. Jack Van Volsen batted the puck toward the point off of an offensive zone draw, but it bounced around before squirting back to him in the dot. Van Volsen tapped the puck forward for Adam Zidlikcy who caught it in stride as he broke towards the net. The Czech forward was stopped on his first chance but he jammed the rebound upstairs to give the Steelheads a 3-2 lead as they headed into the intermission.
Both teams traded chances at the start of the frame, but neither side was able to capitalize on their opportunity. First Easton Wainwright was blocked by Mason Zebeski before Adam Zidlicky was stopped by Evan Maillet.
The Steelheads came inches from doubling their lead when Carson Rehkopf broke down the wing. With a defender on his hip, the dangerous goal scorer resorted to a nifty one-handed poke, but it was chipped just wide of the Sting goal.
At the halfway mark in the final frame, Alessandro Di Iorio connected with Tyson Doucette for a one-time bid. Jack Ivankovic slid to his left and got just enough to deny Doucette his second goal of the night.
The Sting amped up the pressure in the final minutes of play. Jack Van Volsen was called for a trip, which gave Sarnia a two-man advantage when they pulled their goalie. The Sting worked the puck around, but the Trout sealed off the shooting lanes to seal a 3-2 victory.
The Steelheads are back in action tomorrow when they visit Saginaw to face the defending champion Spirit. You can watch all road games at chl.ca or listen live on Sauga960.
