Giugovaz solid as Storm rally to beat Attack

 

by Matt Pelkey

It’s not ever over until it’s over.

Nicolas Sicoly scored the lone goal in the ninth round of the shootout while Michael Giugovaz made 37 saves as the Guelph Storm rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 in a shootout Friday night at the Sleeman Centre.

Givani Smith, Luke Burghardt and James McEwan all scored in regulation for the Guelph.

The victory was the Storm’s third straight and fifth in six games.

Although they had to rally from a two-goal gap, it was Guelph who opened the night’s scoring.

On their first power play of the night, Smith sniped the puck from the right side of the net and beat McNiven at a sharp angle to make it 1-0 6:45 into the contest.

However, the next three goals belonged to the Attack.

1:10 after Smith’s opening goal, Owen Sound tied the game when Petrus Palmu collected the puck in the slot and wristed the puck past the glove of Giugovaz after a Guelph turnover.

Then Santino Centorame finished off a nice passing play by launching a snap shot high over Giugovaz’s glove. Ethan Szypula gave the Attack a 3-1 lead when, standing wide open to the right of Giugovaz, he one-timed a Nick Suzuki pass past the Storm goaltender.

Owen Sound’s three goals, which came in a span of 2:30, put Guelph down 3-1 at the end of a physical first period.

In the second period, a more solid, structured Storm team took the ice.

Giugovaz kept his team’s deficit at two with numerous saves, including a spectacular glove-hand save on a semi-breakaway.

Guelph would make it a one-goal game thanks to the help of a two minute five-on-three power play.

On the man advantage, Luke Burghardt roofed a loose puck outside the crease to the top of the net to make it 3-2.

5:44 into the final frame, James McEwan knotted the game.

While shorthanded, McEwan broke free on a breakaway, pulled off a forehand-backhand deke and slid the puck through the legs of McNiven. The goal was McEwan’s team-leading 19th and is tied for second in the league with four shorthanded tallies.

After the score remained tied after regulation, the game headed to overtime where each team traded multiple chances. Giugovaz and McNiven were both solid in net and made fantastic saves on grade-A scoring opportunities.

Once overtime solved nothing and nobody scored in the first eight rounds of the shootout, Sicoly wired a wrist shot past the blocker of McNiven to give the Storm a 4-3 shootout win.

Giugovaz made 37 saves in the win while McNiven turned aside 22.

Final shots were 40-25.

Guelph is back in action this Sunday, January 17 when they welcome the Peterborough Petes. Puck drop is slated for 3:00 p.m.

 

GAME NOTES

– Tonight’s game was the fourth of eight meetings between the two teams this season. The series is currently tied 2-2.

– James McEwan is now tied for 2nd in the OHL with 4 shorthanded goals. McEwan also has 9 points in his last 6 games.

– With an assist tonight, Garrett McFadden now has 12 points in his last 11 games (3g, 9a).

– Guelph has won three straight and five of their previous six games.

——————————-

Owen Sound Attack 3 at Guelph Storm 3 – Status: Final SO
Friday, January 15, 2016 – Sleeman Centre

Owen Sound 3 0 0 0 – 3
Guelph 1 1 1 0 – 4

1st Period-1, Guelph, Smith 15 (McEwan, McFadden), 6:45 (PP). 2, Owen Sound, Palmu 9 (Szypula), 7:55. 3, Owen Sound, Centorame 10 (Cianfrone, Sterk), 9:46. 4, Owen Sound, Szypula 12 (Suzuki, Friend), 10:25. Penalties-Buckley Gue (tripping), 2:26; Sharipzyanov Os (tripping), 5:30; MacArthur Os (fighting), 8:43; Tetrault Gue (fighting), 8:43; Lindo Os (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 9:02; Rhodes Gue (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 9:02; Phillips Os (tripping), 14:01; Hancock Os (tripping), 14:50; Cianfrone Os (hooking), 19:26.

2nd Period-5, Guelph, Burghardt 10 (Hotchkiss, Bricknell), 6:47 (PP). Penalties-Szypula Os (cross checking), 2:19; served by Durzi Os (too many men, unsportsmanlike cnd.), 5:07; Smith Gue (boarding), 7:16; Schemitsch Os (interference), 8:40; Friend Os (fighting), 9:26; Rhodes Gue (fighting, game misc-helmet), 9:26; West Gue (tripping), 11:57.

3rd Period-6, Guelph, McEwan 19   5:44 (SH). Penalties-Carroll Gue (tripping), 3:52; Smith Gue (tripping), 17:21.

OT Period– No Scoring.Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout – Owen Sound 0 (Palmu NG, Sterk NG, Lindo NG, Hancock NG, Cianfrone NG, Centorame NG, Szypula NG, Struthers NG, Suzuki NG), Guelph 1 (McEwan NG, Burghardt NG, Smith NG, McFadden NG, Bricknell NG, Hotchkiss NG, Stevens NG, Carroll NG, Sicoly G). 
Shots on Goal-Owen Sound 10-13-13-4-40. Guelph 8-10-4-3-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Owen Sound 0 / 5; Guelph 2 / 7.
Goalies-Owen Sound, McNiven 12-10-6-3 (25 shots-22 saves). Guelph, Giugovaz 11-6-4-0 (40 shots-37 saves).
A-4,093
Referees-T.J. Foster (29), Jesse Wilmot (17).
Linesmen-David Jaskula (53), Cory Piche (87). 

 

3 STARS

1) GUE Michael Giugovaz – 37 saves

2) OS Ethan Szypula – 1 goal, 1 assist

3) GUE Givani Smith – 1 goal