Great Effort from Rookies and Vets as 67's Blank Fronts
February 15, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Ottawa 67's News Release
OTTAWA - For the Ottawa 67's, it was one of those days that just about everything that could go right did go right.
In front of a crowd just shy of 4,000 at TD Place and nationally on TV via Sportsnet, the team received tremendous contributions from rookies and veterans alike all over the ice - including an incredible defensive effort in the final period, allowing a grand total of zero shots on goalie Liam Herbst - to take a decisive 3-0 win over the Kingston Frontenacs.
Make it four straight wins and 30 on the season (20 on home ice) for the Barber Poles who are back in action on Monday afternoon in a return match in Kingston at the Rogers K-Rock Centre.
Kemptville native Nathan Todd scored 102 seconds after the opening faceoff in what turned into the winning goal, taking a feed up the middle from Jacob Middleton before beating Frontenacs goalie Lucas Peressini.
The game remained tight, as many of the matches between these two clubs have gone this season, until five minutes into the third when Ben Fanjoy received a perfect cross-crease pass from fellow rookie Travis Barron from the right side before burying the puck over Peressini's outstretched pad to give Ottawa a two-goal cushion.
Fanjoy, who played his novice hockey in Blackburn Hamlet, has produced a memorable season against Kingston during his rookie campaign. Three of his seven goals have come against the Frontenacs, including the first 67's goal of the season, way back on September 26 during Ottawa's season opener, a 3-1 loss in Kingston.
Sam Studnicka scored into an empty net during the final minute to seal the win and Herbst, who started against Kingston for only the second time this campaign, notched the second shutout of his OHL career.
The veteran defence pairing of Middleton and Alex Lintuniemi played an exceptional game. Middleton was on the ice for all his team's goals, setting up Fanjoy and Studnicka. Finnish import Lintuniemi also had an assist and finished the game two-above in the plus/minus category. Overall, the Ottawa defence rendered Kingston's attack nearly into oblivion - to just 16 shots in the game, 13 of which came in the opening period.
Ottawa's defence and back-checking limited the Frontenacs to only three shots through the final 40 minutes: three in the second and, according to the official OHL game report, zilch in the third, an extreme rarity at this level of hockey.
The win kept the 67's on pace with the third-place and fifth-place teams in the Ontario Hockey League's Eastern Conference. The North Bay Battalion, in third position, beat Sudbury on Sunday to remain four points ahead of Ottawa. Meanwhile, the fifth-place Niagara IceDogs won in Windsor to remain seven points behind the 67's.
The 67's and Frontenacs, long-standing East Division rivals, meet for the eighth and final time this season on Monday in Kingston. Ottawa has four wins this season against the Fronts and could clinch the season series with a Family Day victory.
Ottawa's next home game is Friday, February 19 against the Saginaw Spirit at TD Place. Face-off is at 7:30 p.m.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2015
- Supporting Neil Doef; Hounds to Hold Fundraiser this Saturday - Soo Greyhounds
- Great Effort from Rookies and Vets as 67's Blank Fronts - Ottawa 67's
- Spits drop 3-1 decision to IceDogs - Windsor Spitfires
- Troops Wallop Wolves for Measure of Revenge - North Bay Battalion
- IceDogs Beat Spits 3-1 - Niagara IceDogs
- Subban Sets Record - Belleville Bulls
- Goaltending and Blueline Battle for Hounds' Fifth Shutout - Soo Greyhounds
- Subban Sets Record, Bulls Beat Petes - Belleville Bulls
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
