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OHL North Bay Battalion

Battalion Faces 'Dogs with Plenty on Line

February 5, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


NORTH BAY, Ont. - The North Bay Battalion embarks on the final 20 games of its Ontario Hockey League schedule with a pivotal visit to the Niagara IceDogs at 7 p.m. Saturday.

It's the first of 13 road dates in the final 20, including two trips to St. Catharines, the other being on March 12. In its seven home games, the Battalion hosts the Sudbury Wolves twice and the Saginaw Spirit, Peterborough Petes, Hamilton Bulldogs, Owen Sound Attack and Barrie Colts.

After play Thursday night, North Bay and Niagara were tied for second place in the Central Division and third in the Eastern Conference, each with 56 points from 48 games, including 25 wins a side. They were two points ahead of Peterborough and the Mississauga Steelheads and four ahead of the Ottawa 67's in the battle for playoff positioning within the conference.

On Friday night, Niagara was to visit the Kitchener Rangers, Mississauga to host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Hamilton to visit Ottawa.

The Battalion completed a stretch of 21 games that featured 14 at home with a 5-2 loss to the visiting Greyhounds on Thursday night. The Troops posted a won-lost-extended record of 13-5-3 in the span, made up of 10-3-1 at home and 3-2-2 off the bus.

The Battalion is 3-1-0 against Niagara this season, winning 4-3 on Oct. 18 and 2-1 in overtime Dec. 18, both at Memorial Gardens, and 6-1 at the Meridian Centre on Nov. 27. The visiting IceDogs prevailed 3-1 on Nov. 1.

The loss to Sault Ste. Marie ended a season-high run of seven games in which the Troops garnered at least one point, going 5-0-2. The streak was bracketed by home-ice losses to the Greyhounds, the first a 5-4 setback Jan. 14. Rookie Boris Katchouk, who had two goals in the more recent meeting, scored the winner in both games.

Mike Amadio, with his team-leading 30th goal of the season, a career high, and Daniil Vertiy gave North Bay an early 2-0 lead before Sault Ste. Marie rallied for a 3-2 lead through 20 minutes and scored two more goals in the second period.

Amadio leads the Battalion in scoring with 37 assists for 67 points in 48 games, while Mathew Santos is second with 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points in 44 games.

Coach Stan Butler said that Santos, who left the Sault Ste. Marie game early after two shot blocks sandwiched a check into the boards, should play at Niagara.

After the game against the IceDogs, the Battalion is idle until it visits Ottawa at 7 p.m. Tuesday, a game that was rescheduled from Nov. 8 at the request of the 67's.

The game at St. Catharines can be seen live in North Bay on CogecoTV Channel 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.

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