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Owen Sound Attack

Attack Down Spitfires in a Shootout

March 12, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Owen Sound Attack News Release


The Owen Sound Attack would be forced to play longer than 60 minutes for the 2nd straight night, this time against the visiting Windsor Spitfires.

After falling to Kitchener on Friday night, Owen Sound looked for a bounce back Saturday, Mar. 12 and they got just that with a huge 5-4 victory in the shootout.

Petrus Palmu would score twice on the night and add another in the shootout to lead the Attack to victory alongside netminder Daniel Dekoning.

Windsor came out firing and looked determined to run the Attack through the boards in their first few shifts.

That relentless pressure paid off for the visitors, who found themselves on an early powerplay after Ethan Szypula was whistled for holding.

The Attack seemed to find their bearings while on the Paul Davis Systems Penalty Kill though, and their resiliency would pay off after Szypula stepped out of the box.

While up on a five on three Baywest Nissan Powerplay of their own, Owen Sound was able to draw first blood on captain Santino Centorame's 14th goal of the year. Centorame would be Johnny-on-the-spot, putting the Attack up 1-0 after drilling home a Josh Sterk point shot. Sterk would draw the primary assist on the goal, with Petrus Palmu also getting credit for a helper on the play which game at 10:19 of the 1st.

The Attack would add another one before the end of the first too, with Kevin Hancock picking up his 12th of the year on a nifty passing play by Palmu and Szypula. Palmu would streak into Windsor's zone and evade a pair of Spitfires' players by putting the puck through his legs before feeding Szypula who found a wide open Hancock at the side of the cage for an easy tap in.

The Attack would take that 2-0 lead in to the 2nd period, but it was quickly cut in half.

Just like Owen Sound responded after killing off a Windsor penalty, the Spitfires would do the same. Just one minute after the teams were back at even strength, Spitfire forward Christian Fischer would beat Daniel Dekoning with a snapshot to make it a 2-1 game at at 3:03 of the 2nd period.

The teams would then be locked in a see-saw battle of zone time for the better part of the next 10 minutes of play, with Owen Sound eventually wrestling momentum back from the the visitors.

Their efforts would result in Liam Dunda's 7th goal of the year, after the big man was able to get his stick on a Thomas Schemitsch point shot and redirect it into the back of the cage. Matthew Struthers would also assist on the play, restoring Owen Sound's lead with 13:44 gone in the 2nd.

The Spitfires wouldn't waste anytime in responding though. Just 32 seconds after Dunda made it 3-1, the Windsor forward would bang the puck in from about five feet outside the Attack crease to cut Owen Sound's lead to just one goal once again.

Windsor continued to press, but despite finding themselves with another Paul Davis Systems Penalty Kill late in the frame, the Attack were able to hold the Spitfires off and take that 3-2 lead to the final period.

The Spitfires were looking to spoil the party though, and with 12:44 left in regulation, a deflection by Gabriel Vilardi would find it's way past Dekoning and into the Attack cage to make it a 3-3 game.

That would then turn into a 4-3 Windsor lead with 11:44 gone in the 3rd. Jalen Chatfield would pick up an unassisted marker after a cross-ice pass would deflect off of an Attack skate and into the back of the net to give Windsor their first lead of the night.

The Attack have shown a never say die spirit all year long though, and that came into play with time winding down in the 3rd.

With Owen Sound on a Baywest Nissan Powerplay and Dekoning on the bench in favour of the extra man, Petrus Palmu would bang home his 2nd of the evening with 1:10 left in the game to tie the contest up and force overtime for the 2nd straight evening. Santino Centorame and Nick Suzuki would pick up assists on the game tying goal, giving Centorame a multi-point game along with Palmu.

Palmu's 24th goal of the year would force overtime, but neither team would be able to end it in the extra frame and a shootout would be needed to decide the winner.

Kevin Hancock and Palmu would both find the back of the net for the Attack in the shootout, while goalkeeper Daniel Dekoning was able to make saves on two of three Windsor attempts to give the home side a 5-4 win.

Dekoning would be named the Hatten Home Building Centre Hardest Working Player of the Game for his 36 save performance on the night through 65 minutes of action as well as his big stops in the shootout. The Mark McDade Remax Shots on Goal finished at 40-33 in favour of the Spitfires on the night.

Petrus Palmu was named the game's Mac Taylor Corporation 1st Star of the Game for his two goal effort while Attack captain Santino Centorame picked up 3rd star honours. Windsor's Christian Fischer was named the 2nd star of the evening.

Owen Sound will now hit the road for their next two contests, beginning on Thursday, Mar. 17 with a trip to Erie to take on the Otters in a 7:00pm puck drop.

The next home game for the Attack is their final home game of the 2015-16 Ontario Hockey League Regular Season and will be contested on Saturday, Mar. 19 at 7:30pm against the Kitchener Rangers.

Tickets for that game are limited and can be purchased at the DJ's Furniture Attack Box Office.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 12, 2016


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