Owen Sound Cliches Playoff Spot Beating Sarnia 5-4 In Overtime
By Carl Chimenti
The Owen Sound Attack (24-30-3-5) scored at 2:31 in overtime to complete a come from behind 5-4 win over the Sarnia Sting (18-36-8-1) Saturday night at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
Nicholas Sykora scored the game winning overtime goal to clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Sarnia is now on the brink of missing the playoffs for the third straight season as they trail the Saginaw Spirit by eight points with only five games remaining on the Sting schedule.
Sarnia scored twice in the third period to take a 4-3 lead just before the mid-way point. Matthew Manza with his 13th tied the game with a power-play goal at 8:01 from Brenner Lammens, who had a pair of assists tonight, and Kalib Capecci.
Less then two minutes later at 9:53 Tyler Challenger with his seventh of the year put the Sting in front from Ben Pickell and Alessandro Di lorio second assist in the game.
Owen Sound then pulled goaltender Matthew Koprowski (30 saves on 34 shots) and with the extra attacker Lenny Greenberg tied the game with 53 seconds remaining in regulation, with his second goal of the night to send the game into overtime.
Greenberg had a four point night and was awarded the first star of the game. Easton Walos scored his team leading 23rd and 24th goals tonight and was the second star. Beckham Edwards has two helpers tonight.
Owen Sound’s Tristan DeLisle had three assists and was the third star. Newly named Captain Pierce Mbuyi had a goal and an assist.
Sting goaltender Patrick Quinlan stopped 29 of 33 shots. Owen Sound out-shot Sarnia 36-34. The Sting went two for four on the power-play and the Attack one for two.
Both teams lit the lamp in the opening period. Sarnia out-shot Owen Sound 11-10.
Walos put the Sting up 1-0 with a power-play goal at 3:40. Di lorio made a nice pass through the blue paint to Walos, who was parked at the side of the net and he made no mistake. Di lorio and Edwards were credited with the helpers.
The Attack tied the game at 7:55 with an even strength goal from Lenny Greenberg. Pierce Mbuyi and Tristan DeLisle assisted on the goal.
Quinlan was the story in the second period, as he made a number of incredible saves that kept the game close. Quinlan stopped 11 of the 13 shots, including robbing first Cole Zurawski and moments later he came up with his best save through forty minutes as he flashed some leather, with a fantastic save on Tristan DeLisle that had him shaking his head.
Owen Sound went ahead on a power-play goal from Mbuyi at 5:36. The Sting came right back tying the game 21 seconds later. Lammens sent a short pass to Walos and he let go a blast beating Koprowski, with Edwards getting the second assist.
Elliot Arnett put the Attack back in front as he beat Quinlan upstairs after Owen Sound won the face-off. The Attack had one more shot then the Sting 13-12.
