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Soo Greyhounds

Game-Winner by Guertler as Hounds Clip Firebirds

October 7, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Soo Greyhounds News Release


The Soo Greyhounds made the most of their final power play on Wednesday, and the late third period goal proved to be the game winner.

With Flint's Alex Peters in the box for high-sticking, GABE GUERTLER finished off a feed from JACK KOPACKA while standing to the left of Zack Bowman at 16:42 to help the Hounds to a 4-3 home ice victory.

From there the Hounds needed to weather a Flint power play of their own, and a 6-on-4 advantage as the visitors pulled their goalie for the extra attacker in the final minute, to preserve the win.

"From the start of the game it was an ugly game. At the best of times we were not sharp. Our passing early-on was indicative of our play throughout the game and to be honest, our best players were our two sixteen year olds and Hayden Verbeek. They probably created the best scoring chances 5-on-5" began Head Coach Drew Bannister when questioned about Wednesday's sloppy win.

"Our penalty killing was probably the one positive throughout the game and obviously to be able to score in the power play at the end, our special teams come through for us. Five-on-five, for our team, was a sloppy hockey game" he added.

In what would be the Hounds first home game of three this week, and their first meeting against the Firebirds, the Hounds dressed a roster of ten forwards and eight defence man.

Both sides shared their chances through the first nineteen minutes of the game without reward.

Just 4:20 in, KOPACKA, COLTON WHITE and TIM GETTINGER worked a three way play for the early chance to no avail.

Later on GETTINGER put a backhand wide of the goal and then Flint responded with the duo of Will Bitten and Nicholas Caamano connecting for a chance right back.

After hitting a crossbar in the meantime by WHITE, the Hounds would have to wait till just 2.5 seconds remained in the first to get on the board.

GABE GUERTLER, the game hero, poked at a loose puck to make it a 1-0 lead after twenty minutes.

BOBBY MACINTYRE and ZACH SENYSHYN picked up the assists.

That lead lasted just twelve seconds into the second period before Connor Chatham was able to scoop up a puck right in front of BRANDON HALVERSON to tie the game shortly after the puck was dropped.

Then at 6:29, Mathieu Henderson put home a bad angle shot to give Flint the 2-1 advantage.

The scoring flurry continued when WHITE skated the puck behind the net of Bowman and quickly sent it out to ZACH SENYSHYN who wasted little time notching his 5th goal of the season and pulling the two teams even.

MACINTYRE gained the Hounds the lead back before the period was ten minutes old (9:40) from the right of the goal for his 2nd of the year, and the Hounds led 3-2.

A key stop by BRANDON HALVERSON followed up by frantic action in close marked the midway point of the period, but both sides went the rest of the second period without offence and the Hounds lead remained in tact.

After Connor Sills tied the game at 11:45 of the third period, it would go scoreless until GUERTLER's power play marker and the following penalty kill to lead the way into the final buzzer and the 4-3 Greyhound victory.

The win improves the Hounds to 4-0-2-0 through the opening six games of the season, and held off an attempt by the Firebirds to overtake top spot in the West Division.

" The positive is we won. I thought our penalty killing was very good.  Our sixteen year olds, that one line played really, really well for us. That's the positive" added Bannister.

"We can make excuses for everyone else but in the end it wasn't good enough. Those guys played a lot of hockey, travel and quick turnaround for us, shorter line-up but to me the effort wasn't there and the attention to detail wasn't there from the older guys" he concluded.

RED STAR THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1-Gabe Guertler, SSM

2-Bobby MacIntyre, SSM

3-Connor Sills, FLI

To view the complete game summary CLICK HERE.

GAME NOTES;

-G BRANDON HALVERSON started his first game of the season on Wednesday.

The Traverse City, MI product was sidelined through the first five games of the season with an injury sustained during Training Camp 2015.

-F KEIGAN GOETZ received word prior to the game the length of his suspension from the OHL.

Goetz was assessed a 5-minute match penalty this past Sunday in Hamilton and subsequently has been suspended for 12 games.

He is eligible to return to the Hounds line-up on Saturday, November 7 versus Barrie.

-The Hounds skated with 8 defenceman in their line-up. Among the D-men was 2015 pick, ANTHONY DEMEO who was sidelined previously with an upper body injury sustained during the exhibition schedule

UP NEXT;

The Hounds will now continue their current home stand this coming Friday Night - October 9 - against the Saginaw Spirit.

Puck drops at the Essar Centre at 7:07 p.m.

Tickets are on-sale at the Essar Centre Box Office Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or Friday from 10 a.m. through game time, or online at www.essarcentre.ca or by phone at 1.866.775.9422.

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