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North Bay Battalion

Doggett Determination Gives Windsor Win

December 12, 2014 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - Slater Doggett scored two goals and added one assist to pace the Windsor Spitfires to a 4-1 victory over the North Bay Battalion on Thursday night, sending the Troops to a fourth consecutive Ontario Hockey League defeat.

Trevor Murphy had one goal and one assist and Jamie Lewis also scored for Windsor, which hadn't played since edging the visiting Battalion 5-4 last Saturday night. The Spitfires, who got 34 saves from goaltender Alex Fotinos, have a won-lost-extended record of 11-16-1 for 23 points, fourth in the West Division.

Alex Henriksson scored for the Battalion, 14-8-6 for 34 points atop the Central Division. Goaltender Jake Smith faced 15 shots before a snowstorm-defying crowd of 3,186.

The Troops were without centre Nick Paul, who, after weather-related delays, was awaiting a late flight to Toronto to attend the final selection camp for the Canadian entry in the World Junior Championship starting Dec. 26 at Toronto and Montreal.

"We're a team that's in a slump," said coach Stan Butler, whose Battalion is winless since a 4-2 decision Nov. 30 over the visiting Niagara IceDogs. "We're not playing very well and we're not competing very hard. When you don't compete and you don't battle, you aren't going to be successful.

"We had three or four breakaways that we didn't score on. Other teams are getting the bounces, but I believe you create your own bounces, and we have to work a lot harder and battle a lot more. We're getting opportunities, and that's a positive thing but, if we don't finish those opportunities, then they're wasted."

Henriksson opened the scoring at 12:39 of the first period when his low shot from the top of the left-wing circle eluded Fotinos, who was screened by Jared Steege and defender Liam Murray. Miles Liberati and Brett McKenzie drew assists on Henriksson's seventh goal of the season.

Doggett replied on the power play at 17:18, scooping his own rebound into a gaping net with Smith down and helpless.

The Troops, who held a 10-8 edge in shots, had a terrific chance with the man advantage in the last minute, but a sprawling Fotinos used his glove to deny Ray Huether in the goalmouth.

Defenceman Murphy struck 57 seconds into the second period, driving to the slot and converting a Doggett feed.

Lewis put the visitors ahead 3-1 on the power play at 16:37. Smith made a fine save on a Murphy drive, but Lewis bounced the rebound off the goaltender's left leg from behind the goal line to Smith's right.

The Battalion outshot Windsor 11-5. Fotinos poked the puck away from a charging McKenzie in the eighth minute and foiled penalty killer Liberati on a partial breakaway in the 11th. Fotinos denied Mike Amadio in close in the 16th minute, and Steege shot wide on a breakaway in the 18th.

North Bay's best chance to rally came at 3:25 of the third period, when Ryan Moore received a major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind after sending Brenden Miller into the boards. Graeme Brown left for hooking at 5:11, giving the Troops a two-man advantage for two minutes, but Fotinos turned away Amadio, Miller, Liberati and Hampus Olsson, and Spitfires defenders blocked a plethora of shots.

After Miller went off for slashing, also drawing a misconduct, Doggett completed the scoring with his team-leading 12th goal into an empty net at 19:47.

The Battalion visits the Mississauga Steelheads at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.

BATTALION BULLETS: The Spitfires, who wore old-style blue-based uniforms, avoided snowy travel by arriving in North Bay for Wednesday night ... Amadio had a career-high-tying six-game points streak snapped. He had five goals and six assists for 11 points in the run ... Fotinos backstopped Windsor to its home-ice win, while Evan Cormier took the loss for the Battalion. Lewis scored the winning goal in that game shorthanded into an empty net. He returned to North Bay for the first time since a Sept. 29 trade for three OHL Priority Selection picks ... Huether dumped Hayden McCool into the photographers' box midway in the third period ... The Battalion is 2-4-4 against the Western Conference after going 0-3-1 in its last three games, all against the opposite conference ... The Troops went 0-for-4 on the power play. Windsor was 3-for-4 ... Opening line combinations included Amadio centring Olsson on left wing and right winger Mathew Santos, McKenzie centring Steege on left wing and right winger Henriksson and Huether pivoting left winger Mike Baird and Zach Poirier on right wing. Zach Shankar, normally a defenceman, centred left winger Owen Green and David Sherman on right wing ... Apart from Paul, the Battalion was without Zach Bratina and Calvin Gomes ... Windsor was without Markus Soberg and Daniil Vertiy.

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