Banged up Bulls Fall 5-3 to Knights
January 25, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Belleville Bulls News Release
BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Bulls and the London Knights met for the second and final time this season on Saturday night. Max Domi and the Knights were riding a four game win streak heading into the contest while the Bulls had suffered three straight losses. London opened the scoring early and held off a late Bulls rally on route to a 5-3 victory.
The Knights took advantage of a beat up Bulls squad who had a total of 6 skaters out of the line up battling injuries and illness. Swedish import Julius Bergman let a wrist shot go from just over the blue line that found the back of the net two minutes into the opening frame. Forwards Mitchell Marner and Christian Dvorak picked up helpers on the games first goal. London's shooters kept the pedal to the metal putting a number of chances on Connor Hicks, who saw his second straight start.
While killing a Marner hooking penalty, Chandler Yakimowicz broke in shorthanded and beat Hicks for his 10th of the year at 12:43. Netminder Tyler Parsons was credited with the assist. The Knights led 13-6 in shots after the first 20 minutes of action.
The Knights picked up right where they left off to begin the second stanza. Richmond Hill, Ontario native Cliff Pu buried his 4th of the season to make it 3-0 London. Sophomore winger Zach Grzelewski added the assist. Just over 30 seconds later, Drake Rymsha potted his fourth of the campaign from Pu and defenceman Aiden Jamieson. A couple minutes later Knights rookie Tyler Nother was called for delay of game handing the Bulls their first man advantage of the middle period. Bulls forward Stepehen Harper made no mistake on the power play potting his 12th of the season from Matt Luff and Michael Cramarossa.
St. Louis, Missouri native Chris Martenet added one more for the visiting Knights before the end of the period. Yakimowicz picked up his second point of the night with an assist on the play. After a flurry of Bulls chances in the dying minutes of the period defenceman Brody Morris, who was called up from Wellington in the absence of Jordan Subban and Adam Bignell, got the largest crowd of the year fired up as he dropped the gloves with Martenet. Bulls led 22-21 in shots after two periods.
The fight seemed to spark the Bulls as they came out flying to start the final frame. Harper scored his second of the game just 25 seconds in. Luff and Cramarossa picked up the helpers once again. Minutes after an unsuccessful power play, Andrew Ming jumped on a big rebound and pulled the Bulls within two. David Tomasek and Justin Lemcke were credited with assists on Ming's first of the season.
Shortly after the Bulls added an extra attacker but it was too little too late as the London Knights skated away with their fifth win in a row. Connor Hicks made 25 saves while Tyler Parsons stopped 31 shots. Harper earned second star honours.
With the loss the Bulls fall to 19-20-3-3.
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