High Tempo at Camp Opener
August 31, 2021 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release
NORTH BAY, Ont. - It was an intrasquad scrimmage at training camp, but it marked the first organized and normalized game situation for the North Bay Battalion since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, and for that it was notable and welcome.
"For the first five-on-five, full-contact game in over a year, I thought the tempo was outstanding," Battalion general manager Adam Dennis said Tuesday after the first such game at the Ontario Hockey League club's four-day camp featured a considerable display of skills.
A total of 37 skaters and goaltenders took to the ice for the occasion, with Team Green defeating Team White 5-3 as Nic Sima paced the winners with two goals. Goaltender Kolton Bourret went the distance for Green, while White counterpart Charlie Robertson matched him for three 20-minute periods.
Assistant coaches Bill Houlder and Scott Wray ran the Green and White benches respectively. Coach Ryan Oulahen observed the first period from the Memorial Gardens stands before spending one period on each bench "to get a different perspective."
The camp hopefuls were watched attentively by Dennis, assistant John Winstanley and several Battalion scouts, who were pressed to identify players as the pandemic eliminated or vastly altered under-16 play before the OHL Priority Selection in June. With the 2020-21 OHL season having been cancelled, those chosen in the previous Priority Selection also made their first Battalion appearances.
Seven veteran skaters and four goaltenders practised before the intrasquad game, with forwards Brandon Coe, Liam Arnsby, Mitchell Russell, Kyle Jackson and Josh Currie and defencemen Simon Rose and Paul Christopoulos not scheduled to play in the first session. All were expected to dress for a second game later Tuesday. Goaltenders participating were Joe Vrbetic, Dom DiVincentiis, Reece Proulx and Owen Wray.
Five games are to be played before the camp, which opened with fitness testing Monday, breaks at midday Thursday. Games Wednesday start at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., with admission free.
GAME RECAP
While Sima scored twice, Dawson Hettiarachchi's second-period goal proved the winner for Green, which led 4-1 after 40 minutes. Anthony Romani scored the first two White goals.
Lineups
Green: Kolton Bourret, Reece Proulx, Carson Ricci, Alex Stephen, Tnias Mathurin, Cameron Gauvreau, Ethan Girard, Ty Nelson, Brett Bouchard, David Campbell, Dalyn Wakely, Kaedyn Long, Owen Van Steensel, Brett Richardson, Zach Losier, Luc Malkhassian, Dawson Hettiarachchi, Nic Sima.
White: Owen Wray, Charlie Robertson, James Mayotte, Erik MacNiel, Wyatt Kennedy, Ty Hollett, Jake Fullerton, Alex Little, Devon Savignac, Chase MacQueen-Spence, Anthony Romani, Christian Stevens, Owen Outwater, Kyan Haldenby, Kevin Henstock, Chase Thompson, Michael Podolioukh, Alex Christopoulos, Sett Ursomarzo.
Green goals: Sima 2, Malkhassian, Wakely, Hettiarachchi.
White goals: Romani 2, Ursomarzo.
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