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OHL Guelph Storm

Game Preview: Storm Look to Grab Win in Saginaw

January 31, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release


After going winless in their last five, the Guelph Storm look to get back into the win column visiting the Saginaw Spirit on Sunday afternoon.

Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com ---

It's all about the rebound effort for the Guelph Storm (9-31-4-2) on Sunday afternoon. Visiting the Saginaw Spirit (20-24-2-2) for a 4:00p.m. puck drop, the Storm will be looking to put their 4-0 loss to the North Bay Battalion on Friday behind them with a complete effort south of the border.

The Storm are winless in their last five, but earned a point in three of the five contests with only two regulation losses. Over the last 10 games, the Storm are 4-3-1-2.

On the other side of the ice, the Spirit hold only one win over their last five contests - a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa 67's on Jan. 24. Saginaw was in action on Saturday night, falling in a close 2-1 contest to the Kitchener Rangers.

Sunday's match-up will be the third of four meetings between the Storm and the Spirit this season.

Player Watch

Guelph Storm

Early in the season, back on Oct. 3, the Storm fell to the Spirit in an 8-5 loss - there was a bright spot, though, with Nic Sicoly in the centre of it. The rookie forward not only scored his first career OHL goal 8:32 into the game, but added another marker to the night later in the second period on the power play. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native had four shots on the night, boasting a 50% success rate for finding the back of the net fresh into his OHL career. The five-foot-nine, 165-pound winger has registered a total of five points in 43 games since, although, has been beyond consistent in effort throughout the campaign, including being noticeably Guelph's best player in the 4-0 loss to North Bay on Friday.

Continuing the rookie-found success in Saginaw, Isaac Ratcliffe also netted his first career OHL goal against the Spirit back on Oct. 3. Scoring 31 seconds into the third period, the London, Ontario native tied up the game at three-a-piece before the Spirit went on to tally three straight goals en route to an 8-5 win. Since, the six-foot-four, 192-pound forward has totaled for seven points (three goals, four assists) in 27 games this season.

Looking to the veterans in the line-up, assistant captain Garrett McFadden has two assists in two games against the Spirit this season, earning third star honours in Guelph's 4-1 loss at home on Dec. 11. Through 46 games this campaign, the Kincardine, Ontario native has 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists), while posting three goals for 10 points in 12 games in the month of January.

Saginaw Spirit

Doing the damage on Oct. 3 was 1997-born forward Mitchell Stephens with the hat trick display - scoring all three goals in the final period of play to push Saginaw to an 8-5 win over Guelph. A second round (33rd overall) selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Stephens has posted 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 19 games this season.

In the same game, overage forward Connor Brown recorded a goal and two assists for a plus-three rating. The six-foot, 200-pound winger has 35 points (19 goals, 16 assists) in 48 games this season, sitting five points back of his career-high of 40 (19 goals, 21 assists) registered in 68 games last season. Recently, however, the Georgetown, Ontario native has only one assist through the last five games, a cold-streak that Brown will be looking to end on Sunday afternoon with the Storm in town.

Artem Artemov has also had success against the Storm this season, tallying two goals, one assist with a total of nine shots against through two match-ups. The six-foot, 205-pound forward is enjoying a career-year, registering 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 47 games after amassing 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 68 games as a rookie last season. Much like the Spirit, however, the Russia native has cooled in the last five games, recording only two assists in the stretch.

The Opponent: Saginaw Spirit (20-24-2-2, 44 points)

The Saginaw Spirit are currently fourth in the West Division with 44 points through 48 games this season, sitting only two points back of the third-ranked Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The Spirit, though, have been struggling as of late, finding the win column only once through their last five games and three times over the course of their last 10 match-ups. The last victory for the Spirit came back on Jan. 24, earning a 3-1 result over the Eastern Conference's Ottawa 67's. Since then, the Spirit fell 5-3 to the Greyhounds on Jan. 29, followed by a close 2-1 loss to the Kitchener Rangers on Jan. 30.

For the Storm, the key will be to take advantage of a team playing their third game in three days, while Guelph's last game action was on Friday against the North Bay Battalion.

GAME NOTES

The Storm and the Spirit will meet for the third of four times this season on Sunday afternoon.

Saginaw holds a 2-0 season series lead, taking an 8-5 win on Oct. 3 in Saginaw, and a 4-1 victory on Dec. 11 in Guelph.

Rookie Nic Sicoly scored his first two career OHL goals back on Oct. 3 in Saginaw.

Following Sunday's game, the Storm visit the Mississauga Steelheads on Wednesday before returning home to host the Spirit for the final time this season on Feb. 3.

Check out the Guelph Storm Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 31, 2016


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