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North Bay Battalion

Troops Beat Saginaw for Road Trip Split

January 10, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


SAGINAW, Mich. - Mark Shoemaker scored his first career Ontario Hockey League goal at 18:18 of the second period to lift the North Bay Battalion to a 3-2 victory Saturday night over the Saginaw Spirit.

Ryan Kujawinski and Ray Huether also scored for the Battalion, which gained a split of a two-game trip to Michigan, moving its won-lost-extended record to 20-10-7 for 47 points, second in the Central Division.

Goaltender Jake Smith made 26 saves in a stellar performance, including a game-saving pad stop against Mitchell Stephens driving into the slot with less than two minutes left in the scoreless third period.

The Troops were without Nick Moutrey, who suffered a sprained right ankle in a 6-3 loss Friday night to the Plymouth Whalers when Sean Callaghan put him into the boards from behind. Winger Moutrey is expected to be sidelined two to three weeks.

Jesse Barwell and Dylan Sadowy scored for Saginaw, while goaltender David Ovsjannikov faced 24 shots before a crowd of 3,614.

The Spirit, the North Bay Centennials franchise that was sold and moved in 2002, is 18-19-2 for 38 points, third in the West Division.

Shoemaker, normally a defenceman moved to right wing with centre Zach Poirier and left winger Owen Green, scored from the right-wing circle off a rush with assists to Marcus McIvor and Smith.

"That was a really good shot, high into the top corner," said Battalion coach Stan Butler. "That line was a real energy line for us tonight."

The goal came 35 seconds after Sadowy tied the game 2-2, converting a goalmouth pass from Barwell.

The Troops, outshot 16-8 in the middle period, took a 2-0 lead at 4:35 when Huether banged home a pass from behind the net from Mathew Santos. While he didn't get an assist on the play, Mike Baird made it possible when he got to the puck in the right-wing corner and put it behind the Saginaw cage.

Barwell replied on the power play at 6:49, backhanding a goalmouth rebound behind the sprawling Smith, who made several big saves in the frame.

Smith foiled Connor Brown on two early breakaways, the first shorthanded, and robbed Vladislav Kodola with the left pad in the 10th minute before denying Devon Paliani off a three-on-one rush in the 16th.

Kujawinski connected at 17:07 of the first period. Nick Paul fed the puck from the left circle across to the open Kujawinski, who put it just inside the left post for his 16th goal of the season and third with North Bay.

Saginaw tested Smith early, with Stephens, Sadowy and Barwell firing a total of three shots on goal in the opening minute. Smith then raced halfway to the blue line to clear the puck before Tye Felhaber could get to it off a stretch-pass breakaway in the third minute.

The Battalion hosts the Barrie Colts at 7 p.m. Thursday.

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