Kirwin nets three, Storm tame Attack in 6-5 shootout win

There was no shortage of fire power in Owen Sound on Saturday night.

The Guelph Storm and the Owen Sound Attack combined for a total of 11 goals – all of which came in the last two periods – with the Storm skating away to a 6-5 shootout victory.

For the Storm, Barret Kirwin registered his first career OHL hat trick with one of his tallies coming unassisted and shorthanded, while his third came in the dying seconds of the game to tie things up and guarantee the visitor’s a point.

Defenseman Dmitri Samorukov and veteran James McEwan both had noteworthy nights, each recording two points in the win with one goal and one assist, and two assists respectively.

In the shootout, Isaac Ratcliffe scored the only goal to grab the win for the Storm, adding to his power play marker.

Jonah Gadjovich was the star for the Attack, recording two goals and one assist to earn second star honours.

Between the pipes, Anthony Popovich got the nod for the Storm, turning away 48 of 53 attempts for his second win in just as many nights. Riley Daniels and Mack Guzda split time in the crease for the Attack with Daniels playing the first 35 minutes, making 19 out of 23 saves. Guzda finished out the latter half of the game in relief, allowing one goal on 13 shots.

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes that also saw no penalty minutes, it was Ratcliffe opening the scoring 2:34 into the second period, capitalizing on the game’s first penalty as Ethan Szypula sat for tripping.

Kirwin doubled the lead just over four minutes later, jumping all over a rebound off of an Owen Lalonde shot to grab his fifth of the season.

The latter half of the second featured five more goals – totalling for seven on the period.

To start the stream of offence, and getting the Attack on the board, Gadjovich netted his 13th of the season off a slap shot at the 10:11 mark, with Sean Durzi following suit just over three minutes later to knot the game up at two-a-piece.

Just 33 seconds later though, Samorukov responded with a wrist shot from the point, regaining the lead for the Storm with his third of the year.

Next was Matthew Struthers coming right back for the Attack, tying the game up once again 47 seconds later, only to have Kirwin score the seventh goal of the period, and his second of the game, shorthanded a mere 16 seconds after, prompting a goalie change for the Attack, and giving the Storm a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.

The Attack used the first half of the third to jump ahead for the first time, starting with Daylon Groulx’s power play tally at 6:40, followed by Gadjovich’s second of the game just past the halfway point of the frame to make it a 5-4 game in favour of the home squad.

Looking ahead to the dying seconds of the game, cue Kirwin’s backhand for his third of the game and seventh of the season to tie things up at five with just 16 seconds left on the clock.

Overtime solved nothing, forcing a shootout to decide the contest. Ratcliffe, the second shooter next to the Attack’s Groulx, scored the lone goal, securing the 6-5 victory for the Storm.

Next up, the Storm look to make it three in a row on Wednesday when they visit the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Storm then return home for a Friday night match-up with Owen Sound, and a matinee affair with the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday. Purchase your tickets online here, by calling (519) 837-9690, or in person at the Storm Box Office in Old Quebec Street Mall.

Guelph Storm 6 (SO) at Owen Sound Attack 5 – Status: Final SO

Saturday, December 2, 2017 – Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre

Guelph 0 4 1 0 – 6
Owen Sound 0 3 2 0 – 5

1st Period– No Scoring. Penalties-No Penalties

2nd Period–1, Guelph, Ratcliffe 13 (Merkley, McFadden), 2:34 (PP). 2, Guelph, Kirwin 5 (Lalonde, Samorukov), 6:58. 3, Owen Sound, Gadjovich 13 (Struthers, Phillips), 10:11. 4, Owen Sound, Durzi 13 (Szypula, Gadjovich), 14:16. 5, Guelph, Samorukov 3 (Schnarr, McEwan), 14:49. 6, Owen Sound, Struthers 7 (Dudas, Durzi), 15:36. 7, Guelph, Kirwin 6   15:51 (SH). Penalties-Szypula Os (tripping), 1:37; Smith Gue (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 5:51; Friend Os (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 5:51; Poirier Gue (check to the head, game misc-check to head), 13:25; Sushko Os (tripping), 13:43.

3rd Period-8, Owen Sound, Groulx 4 (Beamish, Lyle), 6:40 (PP). 9, Owen Sound, Gadjovich 14 (Lyle, Szypula), 11:02. 10, Guelph, Kirwin 7 (Smith, McEwan), 19:44. Penalties-Lalonde Gue (interference), 5:22; Woolley Gue (hooking), 7:03; Friend Os (hooking), 11:15; Lyle Os (tripping), 17:31.

OT Period– No Scoring. Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Guelph 1 (Ratcliffe G, Toropchenko NG), Owen Sound 0 (Groulx NG, Durzi NG, Dudas NG).
Shots on Goal–Guelph 6-17-11-2-1-37. Owen Sound 16-10-21-6-0-53.
Power Play Opportunities–Guelph 1 / 3; Owen Sound 1 / 3.
Goalies–Guelph, Popovich 13-8-1-1 (53 shots-48 saves). Owen Sound, Daniels 0-3-0-0 (23 shots-19 saves); Guzda 5-2-1-2 (13 shots-12 saves).
A-2,985
Referees-Tom Sweeney (12), Jason Goldenberg (19).
Linesmen-Kevin McArthur (47), David Milne (63).