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OHL North Bay Battalion

Battalion, Butler Build Belleville Memories

March 15, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


BELLEVILLE, Ont. - Mike Amadio scored the only goal of a shootout to give the North Bay Battalion a 4-3 victory over the Belleville Bulls on Sunday in what likely was the last game between the Ontario Hockey League clubs.

Alex Henriksson, Mathew Santos and Nick Moutrey scored in regulation time for North Bay, which moved its won-lost-extended record to 34-20-11 for 79 points, second in the Central Division and third in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Ottawa 67's, whom the Troops host at 7 p.m. Thursday in their next outing.

Goaltender Jake Kment, who backstopped the Battalion to a 3-2 victory via shootout here Feb. 7 and is 4-0-0 in six appearances, made 32 saves through overtime to give Stan Butler his 610th career OHL coaching victory, one more than Belleville's George Burnett and the most by an active coach.

Jordan Subban had one goal and one assist for the Bulls, who also got goals from Justin Lemcke and Stephen Harper. Goaltender Connor Hicks faced 32 shots through overtime for Belleville, 25-32-8 for 58 points, fourth in the East Division and seventh in the conference. The Bulls, who clinched a playoff spot with the point garnered in defeat, have lost five straight games.

The game was played before 2,491 at the Yardmen Arena in the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre. An antiquated facility led to majority interest in the club being sold and the franchise's relocation to become the Hamilton Bulldogs for next season. News of the transaction, which broke last Thursday, has seen fans blame civic officials for a decade of inaction despite stated intentions to renovate the arena.

Barring an improbable playoff matchup, the Battalion and Bulls won't do battle again.

Moutrey precipitated overtime with a brilliant individual effort that saw him dash clockwise behind the net and tuck the puck inside the right post on a wraparound at 14:23. Nick Paul and Marcus McIvor assisted on Moutrey's 24th goal of the season, his ninth goal with the Battalion.

The Troops had two good chances in the rest of the period, but Hicks foiled a Moutrey rush off the right wing and Paul fired the puck off the left post in the 19th minute.

Harper gave the Bulls a 3-2 lead at 12:39 of the period during the second half of a double minor for high-sticking issued to Zach Bratina. Niki Petti swept into the left-wing corner and fed the puck into the goalmouth, where Harper chipped it high into the net.

The Battalion held a 3-2 edge in overtime shots, but the best scoring chance belonged to the Bulls when David Tomasek hit the left post in the third minute.

In the shootout, Tomasek, Brett Welychka and Subban failed to beat Kment, while, after Henriksson was foiled, Amadio beat Hicks on a forehand wrister.

The Bulls struck for two goals 19 seconds apart in the first period with the teams skating four-on-four. Welychka stole the puck from Amadio at the Belleville blue line and sent Subban in alone on Kment for a scoring wrister at 11:23. Defenceman Lemcke connected at 11:42 on a shot from the right circle that appeared to hit Ryan Kujawinski.

The Battalion tied the game with goals 46 seconds apart in the second frame. Henriksson scored at 1:54 when his flutterer from outside the blue line squeezed under Hicks's left arm. Brenden Miller earned the only assist on Henriksson's 20th goal.

Santos knotted it on a three-on-one rush when his attempted pass to Ray Huether deflected into the net off defender Jack Hanley. Mark Shoemaker had the lone assist on Santos's 10th goal.

Butler has a won-lost-tied record of 610-610-65 in 19 OHL seasons, including 540-561-52 in 17 campaigns with the Battalion. He was 70-49-13 in two seasons with the Oshawa Generals culminating in 1995-96.

BATTALION BULLETS: It was at Belleville that the Battalion recorded its first victory representing North Bay, on Sept. 21, 2013, in the second game last season. Jamie Lewis scored what proved to be the winning goal at 14:18 of the second period in a 4-1 decision in which goaltender Brendan O'Neill made 34 saves. The Troops had lost 5-2 to the host Kingston Frontenacs the previous night ... The Battalion posted an all-time won-lost-tied record of 26-30-4 against Belleville, including a won-lost-extended log of 6-1-1 in the last two seasons since moving to North Bay. The Troops were 3-0-1 against the Bulls this season ... Miller's assist gave him 34 goals and 91 assists for 125 points, most by a franchise defenceman, one more than Michael Vernace, and sole possession of 24th place on the career points list ... With Kment making his fourth start since signing Jan. 5, third-year goaltender Jake Smith maintained the oddity of never having played at Belleville ... The Battalion went 0-for-1 on the power play. Belleville was 1-for-4 ... The Battalion was without Austin Kosack, Zach Shankar and Owen Green ... Huether turns 21 Monday, while Santos turns 20 ... The Bulls' Charlie Graham left midway in a 3-2 loss Saturday night to visiting Ottawa after taking a shot to the mask. Graham made 12 saves before the 67's overcame a 2-0 deficit against Hicks, who faced 10 shots.

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