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OHL Owen Sound Attack

Bears Thrash Dogs in Niagara

January 21, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Owen Sound Attack News Release


Big offensive efforts from a handful of Owen Sound Attack players helped power the Bears to a 6-4 win over the Niagara IceDogs in St. Catharines on Thursday, Jan. 21.

Ethan Szypula, Kevin Hancock, Markus Phillips, Bryson Cianfrone, Josh Sterk, Petrus Palmu and Damir Sharipzyanov all contributed a pair of points to the victory, while a total of 10 players found the scoresheet for the visiting Attack.

The IceDogs opened the scoring just over halfway through the opening period, taking advantage of their 2nd powerplay opportunity of the evening.

After a successful Paul Davis Systems Penalty Kill early in the contest, the Attack were victimized by a redirection off of the stick of Anthony DiFruscia at the 10:09 mark of the first period.

However, The Attack wouldn't let much time expire before tying the game up.

Kevin Hancock would tally his 7th goal of the year by banging home a bouncing puck with 8:16 still on the clock in the first.

A snapper from the high slot by Markus Phillips would set up the goal, and Ethan Szypula would grab the other assist on the play by backhanding Phillips' rebound to a wide open Hancock at the side of the Niagara cage.

Owen Sound would then grab their own lead on a goal by Damir Sharipzyanov, just his 3rd of the year.

With 14:31 gone in the period, Sharipzyanov took a pass at the point from Josh Sterk and made a few moves around Niagara defenders before snapping a shot past IceDogs' goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. Bryson Cianfrone would also assist on the play.

The first period's goal scoring wasn't done there, though.

Niagara would tie the game at two apiece withjust over two and a half minutes remaining before the intermission, using an extended amount of zone time to set up a goal by Jordan Maletta, tying the game at two.

Owen Sound would regain their one goal advantage before the period was over though, and they managed to do it just eight seconds after the 'Dogs tied the game up.

Bryson Cianfrone would nab his 2nd point of the night, this time by finding the back of the net himself off of a slick backhander. Assisting on Cianfrone's 10th of the year, which gave the Attack a 3-2 lead at the break, were Josh Sterk and Thomas Schemitsch.

The 2nd period would begin with some confusion, after the referees need an extended deliberation period to conclude that Niagara's Jordan Maletta had kicked the puck into the net.

No deliberation was needed on the next goal though.

A fantastic rush by rookie defenceman Markus Phillips set up a rebound that Matthew Struthers to score his 5th of the year on a wraparound just halfway through the middle stanza.

But much like the opening frame, the 2nd period would see goals come in bunches.

Just over a minute after Owen Sound would take a 4-2 lead on Struthers' goal, Niagara's Maletta scored his 2nd of the evening, converting on a blast from the point to make it 4-3.

And yet, the scoring still wasn't done in the 2nd period.

Petrus Palmu joined in on the act, regaining the Attack's two goal lead by wiring a snapshot past Nedeljkovic at the 15:16 mark of the 2nd. Palmu's unassisted marker, one of his patented high slot snappers, would wind up standing as the game winning goal on the evening.

And that's because the IceDogs weren't about to let Owen Sound take a two goal lead into the game's final 20 minutes.

With 52 seconds left on the clock, Graham Knott one-timed a pass overtop of the blocker of Attack keeper Daniel Dekoning, sending the visitors to the locker room with just a 5-4 lead.

The scoring fest continued when the puck dropped to mark the beginning of the 3rd period, as Owen Sound increased their lead to a two goal margin at the 3:20 mark thanks to Ethan Szypula's team leading 13th goal of the year.

Szypula's goal came courtesy of a wicked wrister from the middle of the slot with asissts going to Damir Sharipzyanov and Kevin Hancock after Sharipzyanov was able to find a streaking Szypula with a picture perfect pass to set up the goal.

Nick Suzuki would wrap up the scoring on the evening with an easy empty net marker with just 17 seconds left in the game, icing a 7-4 victory for the Attack. Petrus Palmu grabbed the lone assist on Suzuki's goal, the rookie's 11 of the year.

Owen Sound netminder Daniel Dekoning turned aside 24 shots on the evening as the Mark McDade Remax Shots on Goal finished at 41-28 for the Attack.

Damir Sharipzyanov was named the Mac Taylor Corporation 1st Star of the Game thanks to his two point performance while Bryson Cianfrone picked up 3rd star honours for his two point game as well. Niagara's Jordan Maletta was named the game's 2nd star after scoring 2 goals.

The Attack will play their lone home game of the week on Saturday, Jan. 23 when the Kitchener Rangers come to town for a 7:30pm contest.

Tickets for that game, and all remaining Attack home games, are available at the DJ's Furniture Attack Box Office, online at www.attackhockey.com, or by calling 519-371-7452.

Check out the Owen Sound Attack Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2016


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