Storm Shut Out by Battalion
January 29, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release
The next time the Guelph Storm will suit up for a game will be this Sunday, and that day can't come soon enough for them.
The Storm dropped their fifth straight game as they were blanked 4-0 by the North Bay Battalion Friday evening at the Sleeman Centre..
It was the seventh time this season that Guelph (9-31-4-2) has been shutout.
In a game that was dominated by the visitors from start to finish, Mathew Santos (2g, 1a), Michael Amadio (2a) and goaltender Jake Smith led the way for the Battalion (24-16-2-4) on an evening the Storm will be quick to forget.
When it looked as if it were going to be a scoreless opening period, things quickly changed with 1:17 remaining.
At the left corner in the Storm zone, North Bay's Amadio fired a pass to a wide open Cam Dineen, who was streaking down the middle of the ice, and redirected the puck past Michael Giugovaz to give the Battalion a 1-0 lead after the first period.
The late goal would clearly have an effect on both teams in the middle frame, as the visitors dominated entirely throughout.
Just 4:07 into the second period, the Battalion increased their lead to 2-0 when Amadio once again found a teammate cutting to the net. This time, Amadio fed the puck to Santos who one-timed the puck past the glove of Giugovaz and into the net.
Shortly after making it 2-0, the visitors quickly made it 3-0.
Max Kislinger jammed a loose puck in the crease across the line 1:05 later as the Battalion took a commading three-goal lead.
In the third period, North Bay shut down anything and everything Guelph could develop.
The Storm's best chance of the period came when rookie Isaac Ratcliffe was awarded a penalty shot. Ratcliffe faked forehand before dragging the puck on his backhand and shooting it into the glove of a sprawling Smith.
The Battalion would add an empty-netter, Santos' second of the game, on a Storm power play with 3:36 remaining to seal the deal and make it 4-0, the final score.
Giugovaz made 33 saves while Smith turned aside all 20 shots for his first shutout of the season.
Final shots were 36-20 for North Bay.
The Storm are back in action this Sunday, January 31 when they hit the road to Saginaw for a battle against the Spirit. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
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