Greyhounds Defeat Sting 7-3 On Family Day
By Carl Chimenti
The Soo Greyhounds lead from start to finish as they beat the Sarnia Sting 7-3 before a large crowd of 4,509, at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena on the annual Family Day at the Hive.
The Greyhounds scored three in the first and added two more in each of the second and third periods. The Sting scored once in each period and the game ended closer than the score indicated.
Zach Filak scored his 17th and added one assist to lead the Sting. Lukas Fischer (5th) and Sean Doherty (5th) added single goals. Doherty was named the third star. Marko Sikic, Carter Kostuch and Kai Schwindt (Florida Panthers) contributed with one assist each. Nick Surzycia started in net for the Sting and played most of the game (50:34) stopping 25 of 31 shots and Karsen Chartier played the final 7:33, making one save on two shots. Defensemen Matthew Anderson, who was just signed earlier, made his OHL debut for the Sting.
Julian Fantino, was named the first star after a three-point night that included two goals for the Greyhounds. Andrew Gibson (Detroit Red Wings) had a goal and an assist and was the second star. Caeden Carlisle and Jacob Frasca added a pair of assists each for the Greyhounds. Landon Miller was in net and turned away 25 of 28 shots. The Greyhounds out-shot the Sting 33-28. Sarnia was one for two with the man-advantage. The two teams were even in the face-off circle 31-31.
The Greyhounds scored three goals in 44 seconds to grab the lead. Gibson opened the scoring at 11:17 from Carlisle. Fantino made it 2-0, twenty-five seconds later at 11:42 with Gibson and Carlisle assisting. Nineteen seconds later at 12:01, the Soo struck again on a goal from Travis Hayes with the lone assist going to Arttu Karki.
Sarnia’s Doherty made a great individual play to score his fifth of the year, unassisted, at 16:21. Doherty created a take-away and proceeded to go in alone and his initial shot was stopped but he was able to score on the rebound. The first period came to an end with a fight that saw Fischer get the best of Owen Allard at 19:24. The Soo out-shot Sarnia 11-5.
The second period was much closer. The Greyhounds for a second straight period were better on the shot clock 12-10. The Soo scored twice with the first goal coming early at the 37 second mark from Gavin Hayes (Chicago Black Hawks), with Kirill Kudryavtsev (Vancouver Canucks) assisting on the goal. Fantino scored his second goal of the game at 3:14.
The Sting scored late in the period on a power-play goal at 16:54 as Fischer found the back of the net from the high slot from Sikic and Filak. Filak had a couple of grade A scoring chances, but Miller robbed him twice, first stopping him on a break-away and later with his shoulder on a high rising shot.
