OHL North Bay Battalion

Amadio's Overtime Goal Tames Tenacious Storm

Published on January 21, 2016 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - Mike Amadio scored 46 seconds into overtime to give the North Bay Battalion a 4-3 comeback victory over the Guelph Storm in Ontario Hockey League action Thursday night.

Amadio, who also had two assists, raced down the left wing and snapped the puck over the glove of Guelph goaltender Michael Giugovaz. The unassisted goal was Amadio's team-leading 28th of the season and team-high fourth game-winner.

Cam Dineen precipitated overtime when he scored at 19:07 of the third period, and North Bay got its other goals from Zach Poirier and Mathew Santos. Goaltender Jake Smith faced 31 shots before a crowd of 3,128.

The Battalion improved its won-lost-extended record to 22-16-5 for 49 points, leapfrogging the idle Mississauga Steelheads for third place in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Givani Smith scored two goals and Luke Burghardt one for Guelph, while Giugovaz made 36 saves. The Storm, a more than respectable 7-2-3 in its last 12 games, is 9-29-5 for 23 points, last in the Midwest Division, Western Conference and league.

"We got off to a good start," said Battalion coach Stan Butler. "There were times when we played with good structure and we played the right way, and then we made some silly mistakes. Once Guelph got that first goal, you could see the momentum change, and they were right back in the game."

Santos scored on the power play at 1:31 of the third period for a 2-1 lead, converting an Amadio pass on a backdoor play at the right post. Dineen also assisted on Santos's 15th goal.

Burghardt tied it with an unassisted goal at 10:16, wheeling behind the net off a right-wing rush and lifting a backhander past goaltender Smith's blocker from a sharp angle to his right.

Guelph's Smith gave the visitors their first lead at 16:39 during the second half of a double minor for high-sticking to the Battalion's Max Kislinger. C.J. Garcia's shot was stopped, but the rebound went off Dineen's skate to Smith, who swept it into the net.

Dineen tied it with goaltender Smith gone for an extra skater. Amadio hit the left post from the top of the left-wing circle, and the puck deflected to Dineen at the right side of the crease for the conversion. Kyle Wood earned the other assist on defenceman Dineen's eighth goal.

Poirier opened the scoring on the power play at 4:12 of the second period, putting a Steve Harland feed past Giugovaz from deep in the left circle. Brett McKenzie also assisted on Poirier's eighth goal.

Guelph's Smith replied during a two-man advantage at 10:06 when he got loose in the slot to one-time a James McEwan pass.

North Bay dominated the scoreless first period, forging a 17-9 edge in shots. Giugovaz's biggest save came with the Battalion on the power play in the sixth minute when he kicked out his left pad to deny Amadio from the lip of the crease.

Guelph's Jake Bricknell was involved in two dangerous plays on the same shift without penalty, taking Brady Lyle into the boards at 19:36 and driving the Troops' Daniil Vertiy into goaltender Smith at the buzzer. Both Lyle and Smith were on the ice for some time receiving attention from athletic therapist James Borrelli.

The Battalion visits the Hamilton Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on CogecoTV Channel 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.

BATTALION BULLETS: Amadio has a four-game points streak in which he has five goals and two assists for seven points. He has 50 career power-play assists, tied with Brenden Miller for sixth place on the franchise list ... Wood has five assists over the last three games ... Smith made his 150th career appearance, most in franchise history among goaltenders, two more than Brad Topping. Smith, 17-12-3 this season, is 77-48-19 all-time. His 77 wins are a franchise record, and his eight shutouts are tied with Patrick Killeen's total for second place behind former creasemate Matej Machovsky's nine ... Each team went 2-for-5 on the power play ... Opening lines included Amadio centring left winger Vertiy and right winger Santos, McKenzie centring left winger Maurizio Colella and right winger Harland and Kyle Potts pivoting left winger Kislinger and Poirier on right wing. Brett Hargrave centred left winger Jacob Ball and right winger Justin Brazeau ... The Battalion, which dressed 19, one below the limit, was without Zach Shankar, Mike Baird, David Sherman and Riley Bruce, who served the ninth game of a 10-game suspension ... The Battalion now has faced all 19 opponents at least once this season. The Troops visit Guelph next Friday night to complete the season series.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2016


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