Storm roughed up by Attack in home finale
by Matt Pelkey
The next time members of the Guelph Storm and its fans reunite at the Sleeman Centre will be on April 9, when the team hosts a 2016 OHL Priority Selection get-together.
The Storm fell 5-2 to the visiting Owen Sound Attack Friday night at the Sleeman Centre and with the team already eliminated from playoff contention, the game was the team’s final home game of the 2015-16 season.
A 3-0 lead early in the second period proved to be enough for the Attack to secure the two points on the road on Friday.
Luke Burghardt and Givani Smith scored for the Storm (12-48-4-2) while goaltender Michael Giugovaz made 33 saves in the final home start of his OHL career.
Sean Durzi led the way for Owen Sound with two goals as Michael McNiven turned aside 19 shots in net.
The Attack (32-24-8-3) took the lead a mere 4:49 into the contest. Jaden Lindo made it 1-0 when he connected on a one-timer from the slot after receiving a pass from Josh Sterk from behind the net.
4:09 after the opening goal, Owen Sound extended their early lead.
With Storm defenceman Levi Tetrault hobbling after blocking a shot, Jacob Friend fired a slap shot from the point that deflected off Tetrault and past Giugovaz’s glove. The Attack jumped out to a 2-0 lead that they would carry into the first intermission.
The visitors wasted little time widening the gap in the second period. Durzi made it 3-0 Owen Sound when he skated into the Storm zone uncontested and wristed a low shot to the right side of the net.
With 3:52 remaining in the period, Burghardt brought Guelph within two.
After a sequence of heavy pressure from the Storm, Burghardt picked up a rebound off of a Noah Carroll shot and lifted the puck into the top right of the net to beat McNiven and make the score 3-1. The goal extended Burghardt’s point streak to five games.
Before the horn could sound on the second period, Durzi added his second marker of the evening to help the Attack regain their three-goal lead at 4-1. Durzi pounced on a rebound given up by Giugovaz and snapped a shot into an open net, beating the diving Guelph netminder.
Entering the third period, Owen Sound had managed to hold the Storm to just 12 shots on goal while throwing 27 of their own at Giugovaz.
Staying with the trend of scoring early into periods for this game, the Attack would score to make it 5-1 only 50 seconds into the third period.
Following a great individual effort by Damir Sharipzyanov to enter the zone and protect the puck, Sharipzyanov fed the puck to a wide open Kevin Hancock in the slot who one-timed the puck high past Giugovaz.
On a power play 1:36 later, Smith poked a loose puck across the goal line as Guelph scored just its fourth goal in their previous three games at home.
The goal made another small dent in the Owen Sound lead as the Attack left the Sleeman Centre with a 5-2 victory.
Final shots were 38-21 for Owen Sound.
Guelph is back in action tomorrow night when they head to Flint for a game with the Firebirds at 7:30 p.m. The Storm will then wrap up their season Sunday afternoon in Sault Ste. Marie against the Greyhounds.
GAME NOTES
– Tonight’s game was the 8th and final game between the two teams this season. Owen Sound won the season series 5-3.
– Guelph has now dropped its last 12 games.
– With his second period goal, Luke Burgardt extended his point streak to 5 games (3-2-5).
– Michael Giugovaz and Jacob Harris were both honoured pre-game as they graduate from junior hockey.
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Owen Sound Attack 5 at Guelph Storm 2 – Status: Final
Friday, March 18, 2016 – Sleeman Centre
Owen Sound 2 2 1 – 5
Guelph 0 1 1 – 2
1st Period-1, Owen Sound, Lindo 14 (Sterk, Brack), 4:49. 2, Owen Sound, Friend 4 (Palmu, Hancock), 8:58. Penalties-Durzi Os (kneeing), 11:29.
2nd Period-3, Owen Sound, Durzi 9 (Sharipzyanov), 3:10. 4, Guelph, Burghardt 17 (Hall, Carroll), 16:08. 5, Owen Sound, Durzi 10 (Lindo, Szypula), 19:43 (PP). Penalties-Hall Gue (hooking), 1:03; MacArthur Os (fighting), 6:51; Bricknell Gue (fighting), 6:51; Brack Os (holding opp. stick), 8:12; Burghardt Gue (cross checking), 10:10; Roberts Os (cross checking), 14:00; Smith Gue (hooking), 19:00.
3rd Period-6, Owen Sound, Hancock 13 (Sharipzyanov, Friend), 0:50. 7, Guelph, Smith 22 (McFadden, McEwan), 2:26 (PP). Penalties-Centorame Os (slashing), 1:04; Sterk Os (roughing), 13:41; Dunda Os (interference), 16:54; Garcia Gue (holding), 18:08; Stevens Gue (slashing), 19:10.
Shots on Goal-Owen Sound 14-13-11-38. Guelph 6-6-9-21.
Power Play Opportunities-Owen Sound 1 / 5; Guelph 1 / 6.
Goalies-Owen Sound, McNiven 21-17-7-3 (21 shots-19 saves). Guelph, Giugovaz 14-20-5-2 (38 shots-33 saves).
A-4,535
Referees-Joe Park (27), Chris Thornton (13).
Linesmen-Jean-Francois Menard (52), Ryan Card (83).
3 STARS
1) OS Sean Durzi – 2 goals
2) OS Jaden Lindo – 1 goal, 1 assist
3) GUE Luke Burghardt – 1 goal
