Attack at Storm… after 20

Friday night at the Sleeman Centre, the Storm wasted little time bringing thousands of stuffed toys onto the ice when Mat Sisca netted his first of four on the evening to help lift Guelph to an 8-1 win over the visiting Owen Sound Attack.

Just the second unit over the boards on the night, the trio of Michael Latta, Taylor Beck and Sisca gave the home side a 1-0 lead only 73 seconds in.  Beck started the play with a pass to Latta in the slot.  When the Owen Sound defence and Scott Stajcer overplayed the Storm forward he slid a feed to Sisca all alone at the side of the net for an easy tap in.  The Storm would double their lead to two on Cody McNaughton’s sixth of the season.  The second year winger took a Peter Holland pass behind the net and wrapped it around and through Stajcer’s legs at 8:48.  Down 2-0, Owen Sound would solve Cody St. Jacques with a powerplay marker by Bobby Mignardi before Guelph added a pair to jump out to a 4-1 lead before the game was 15 minutes old.  Off the rush, Latta found Sisca trailing the play for a quick shot over the blocker of Binnington who replaced Stajcer.  Minutes later a Sisca shot bounced in and out of the net and was waived off by the referee.  The play would continue for another thirty seconds until Beck banged in what looked to be the fourth of the night for Guelph.  After a review, Sisca’s shot was ruled a goal and it was a three-goal bulge for the Storm.  Shots on goal after 20 were 13-10 in favour of the hosts.

In the middle stanza, the Storm continued to press and came away with three more markers to jump out to a 7-1 lead.  McNaughton started the scoring with his second shorthanded goal of the season and second tally of the night after he grabbed an Attack turnover and he was off to the races.  With an Owen Sound defenceman chasing, McNaughton pulled it to his backhand and lifted it over Stacjer.  With 3:31 remaining, Beck would pot his team best 16th banging in a loose puck in the slot with Latta and Sam Lofquist picking up helpers.  It looked like the Attack would weather the Storm and head to the break down five, until Sisca deflected a Tim Campbell point shot with only one tick remaining for a powerplay goal.  Guelph would own the edge in shots again with 15 compared to 7 by the visitors.

Up six and with two third period powerplays compared to none for the Attack, the Storm continued to control the play and added a single in the third.  Taylor Beck joined Sisca and McNaughton with multi-goal games when he snaked through the neutral zone then slid to his right and pulled the Owen Sound defenceman and Stajcer with him.  The Storm’s leading scorer would snap a shot across his body to score blocker side with Latta picking up his fourth assist in the win.  Final shots on goal in the game were 37-24 for Guelph with a 9-7 edge in the third for the victors.

The line of Sisca, Beck and Latta combined for 12 points with Sisca and Beck earning first and second star honours respectively.  Cody McNaughton with the eventual winner and a shorthanded goal was named the third star of the night.

The Storm will be right back at it tomorrow night when they go west to take on the London Knights in a 7:00 start.  Then on Sunday afternoon, it will be the third game in as many days for Guelph when the Kingston Frontenacs make their lone regular season visit to the Sleeman Centre in a 2 pm start.  For tickets visit or call the Guelph Storm box office (519) 837-9690 or buy online at GuelphStorm.com.

Owen Sound Attack 1 At Guelph Storm 8 – Status: End of Game
Dec 11, 2009 – Sleeman Centre

Owen Sound 1 0 0 – 1
Guelph 4 3 1 – 8

1st Period-1, Guelph, Sisca 11 (Beck, Latta), 1:13. 2, Guelph, McNaughton 6 (Holland, Carroll), 8:48. 3, Owen Sound, Mignardi 20 (Schemitsch, Blacker), 12:00 (pp). 4, Guelph, Sisca 12 (Latta, Syvret), 12:12. 5, Guelph, Sisca 13 (Lofquist, Beck), 14:23 (pp). Penalties-Carroll Gue (check from behind), 4:58; Syvret Gue (delay of game), 11:50; Shipley Os (cross checking), 13:00; Sandlak Gue (slashing), 15:37; Wilson Os (fighting, 10-min. misc.), 19:21; Chiarot Gue (fighting), 19:21; McGee Os (roughing), 20:00; Latta Gue (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 20:00.

2nd Period-6, Guelph, McNaughton 7   9:37 (sh). 7, Guelph, Beck 16 (Latta, Lofquist), 16:29. 8, Guelph, Sisca 14 (Comrie, Campbell), 19:59 (pp). Penalties-Sisca Gue (cross checking), 8:54; McGurk Os (tripping), 19:01.

3rd Period-9, Guelph, Beck 17 (Latta), 3:47. Penalties-Doan Os (tripping), 4:59; Dubois Os (inter. on goaltender), 8:07.

Shots on Goal-Owen Sound 10-7-7-24. Guelph 13-15-9-37.
Power Play Opportunities-Owen Sound 1 of 4; Guelph 2 of 4.
Goalies-Owen Sound, Stajcer 11-12-2-1 (32 shots-26 saves); Binnington 3-4-0-1 (5 shots-3 saves). Guelph, St. Jacques 7-9-1-0 (24 shots-23 saves).
A-3,579
Referees-Darcy Burchell (17), Thane Arsenault (9).
Linesmen-Tim Steen (75), Andrew Hubbard (70).