Storm’s third-period stumble leads to 7-4 loss in the Soo
On the tail end of a three-in-three weekend, it was the final 20 minutes of play that saw the Guelph Storm’s two-game win-streak come to an end.
Visiting the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Sunday afternoon, the Guelph Storm fell 7-4 following back-to-back 2-1 victories on Friday and Saturday nights.
Trailing 3-1 at one point in the game, the Storm pushed back to score three consecutive goals in the latter half of the second period, taking a 4-3 lead into the final 20 minutes of play.
Stumbling in the third period, though, the Storm allowed four unanswered goals, resulting in a 7-4 loss to the Western Conference’s third-best.
Offensively, defenseman Ryan Merkley and veteran James McEwan each had two points, registering one goal and one assist each. For the Greyhounds, Hayden Verbeek (two goals, one assist) and captain Tim Gettinger (one goal, two assists) led the way with three-point games, earning first and second star honours respectively.
Between the pipes, the Storm’s Anthony Popovich was given the nod once again, turning aside 40 of 46 shots in the loss, while at the other end, the Greyhounds’ Matthew Villalta made 33 out of a possible 37 saves for the win.
Although the Storm got things going offensively in the first period as Barret Kirwin recorded his second of the season right off of a draw just 5:30 into the contest, it would be the Greyhounds who would then take control on the scoreboard with three straight goals.
First, ten minutes later with under five minutes remaining in the opening period, Gettinger – right out of the penalty box after serving two minutes for checking from behind – was sprung, breaking in alone to tie up the game at one with a quick shot past Popovich’s stick side.
The Greyhounds struck again nearing the midway point of the middle frame as former Storm defenseman Noah Carroll put a point shot on net allowing Verbeek to record his sixth of the season off a rebound in front, giving the home squad their first lead of the game.
Under a minute later at the 9:06 mark of the second, the Greyhounds extended their lead while taking advantage of a Storm defensive turnover. Turning things around at the blue line, Barrett Hayton took a shot from the slot with Jack Kopacka jumping on the rebound from the side of the net to make it a 3-1 game.
With 5:14 remaining in the period, momentum swung starting with a power play marker from the Storm’s McEwan. With Conor Timmins sitting for hooking, Merkley went for a skate to find the overage forward who roofed it for his second of the season, pulling the Storm to within one.
Just short of four minutes later, Merkley went back to work, this time for a goal of his own using time and space to walk in from the blue line, pocketing his third of the campaign with a shot from the right face-off dot, tying the game up at three-a-piece.
With the third straight goal, the Storm took back the lead with just 49 seconds remaining in the second as defenseman Dmitri Samorukov was fed with a pass from McEwan, splitting the Greyhounds defensemen to record his first of the season and making it a 4-3 game in favour of the visitors heading into the final 20 minutes of play.
Wasting no time, the Greyhounds took immediate control of the third period with a point shot just 33 seconds into the frame, as Boris Katchouk recorded his 12th goal of the season tying the game up at four.
Things only unraveled from there for the Storm, with the Greyhounds capitalizing again just 28 seconds later to take back the lead. Verbeek, recording his seventh of the season and second of the game, put a shot past a diving Storm defenseman, and off the post and in to make it a 5-4 game just 1:01 into the third.
From there, the Greyhounds would add a power play marker from Katchouk at the 10:32 mark of the period, and an empty netter from Kopacka with under three minutes remaining to seal the deal on a 7-4 contest.
The Storm return to action at the Sleeman Centre on Friday, October 27, hosting the Erie Otters for the Storm’s Winter Wear Drive in support of Lakeside Hope House. Purchase your tickets online here, by calling (519) 837-9690, or in person at the Guelph Storm Box Office in Old Quebec Street Mall.
Guelph Storm 4 at Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 7 – Status: Final
Sunday, October 22, 2017 – Essar Centre
Guelph 1 3 0 – 4
Sault Ste. Marie 1 2 4 – 7
1st Period–1, Guelph, Kirwin 2 (Hotchkiss), 5:30. 2, Sault Ste. Marie, Gettinger 6 (Verbeek), 15:21. Penalties-Hayton Ssm (holding), 2:29; Timmins Ssm (interference), 8:10; Poirier Gue (interference), 12:38; Gettinger Ssm (check from behind), 13:15; Samorukov Gue (check from behind), 16:25.
2nd Period-3, Sault Ste. Marie, Verbeek 6 (Carroll, Gettinger), 8:20. 4, Sault Ste. Marie, Kopacka 5 (Hayton, MacKay), 9:06. 5, Guelph, McEwan 2 (Merkley), 14:46 (PP). 6, Guelph, Merkley 3 (Hillis, McFadden), 18:36. 7, Guelph, Samorukov 1 (McEwan, Schnarr), 19:11. Penalties-Howdeshell Ssm (tripping), 4:36; LeGuerrier Ssm (holding), 12:42; Timmins Ssm (hooking), 13:18; Hawel Gue (slashing), 17:25; Carroll Ssm (high sticking), 17:25.
3rd Period-8, Sault Ste. Marie, Katchouk 12 (LeGuerrier), 0:33. 9, Sault Ste. Marie, Verbeek 7 (Gettinger), 1:01. 10, Sault Ste. Marie, Katchouk 13 (Carroll), 10:32 (PP). 11, Sault Ste. Marie, Kopacka 6 (Timmins), 17:48 (EN). Penalties-Poirier Gue (check to the head, game misc-check to head), 9:34.
Shots on Goal–Guelph 12-16-9-37. Sault Ste. Marie 19-12-16-47.
Power Play Opportunities–Guelph 1 / 6; Sault Ste. Marie 1 / 3.
Goalies–Guelph, Popovich 5-5-0-1 (46 shots-40 saves). Sault Ste. Marie, Villalta 7-1-1-0 (37 shots-33 saves).
A-3,495
Referees-Josh Schein (27), Scott Ferguson (35).
Linesmen-Joshua Houslander (88), Marcus Policicchio (54).
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