OHL Erie Otters

How Sweep It Is: Erie Strikes for Six to Sweep Road Weekend

Published on March 3, 2024 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Ottawa, Ontario - The Erie Otters' final long road trip of the season concluded on Sunday afternoon, as the team officially entered the countdown of single-digit games remaining ahead of vying for a post-season berth. After taking back-to-back two-goal victories on the opening games of the trip against Peterborough (4-2) and Kingston (5-3), Erie would look to finish the weekend's job against a solid Ottawa squad at The Arena at TD Place. Being something of a homecoming game for players like Bruce McDonald, Brett Hammond, and Alexis Daviault, Erie would hope for a motivated and rested effort in hopes of its second three-game road weekend sweep of the year.

The hometown kid Bruce McDonald (16, SHG) wouldn't waste much time in making his name re-known by the familiar crowd. After a penalty on Erie, the second-year Otter would race up the ice to collect his second-career shorthanded goal - just eight days after his first. On the other side of a successful kill for Erie, Cooper Foster (17) would be able to capitalize on the chaos for a tie game just 3:25 into the contest. Both goaltenders would clamp down the remainder of the period, as Erie would outshoot Ottawa 10-9 in the period, but a 1-1 game would go into the intermission.

Early goals would be the prevailing theme of the game for the Otters as the second period would start, as Sam Alfano (22, PPG) would earn his third power play goal in two games and points in four-straight games just 1:14 into the period. Before seven minutes were gone by, Ondrej Molnar (17) would laser another shot past the Ottawa goaltender Collin Mackenzie to put Erie up 3-1 at the halfway mark of the game. With just over three minutes remaining in the second, Henry Mews (14) would stop the bleeding for the 67's, but Malcolm Spence (19) would put Erie right back up by a pair just :22 later. After 40 minutes of play, Erie would be in total control with a 4-2 advantage and up 18-17 in shots.

It would be a cardiac effort in the third period for an Erie team looking for a win. Bradley Horner (4) would flip the script on early goals as he would strike 2:20 into the third to make it a 4-3 game. Erie would strike for quick back-to-backs goals from Brett Bressette (17) and Pano Fimis (21, GWG) just 3:20 apart to go up 6-3, but the comeback effort would be on from Ottawa. After the halfway mark of the period, Cooper Foster (18) and Brad Gardiner (13) would score just :21 apart to make it a 6-5 game. The 67's would pull the goalie and pepper the offensive end with shots, and think they'd had a tie game after the puck went in off Brady Stonehouse, but it was immediately ruled no-goal for being thrown in. Erie would weather the final :94 to take the win, 6-5. Erie would sweep its second three-game weekend road series of the season and second since 2017, as Jacob Gibbons collected his fourth-straight victory.

Erie will host divisional foe Owen Sound for a pair of home games on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10. Saturday's affair is the annually-beloved Kids Takeover Game (pres. by Wendy's), featuring junior staff from the press box to the bench and everywhere in between. Sunday's game will be the final Sunday Family Funday of the season, with the first 1000 fans in the arena receiving a free 2023-24 Team Card Set (pres. by Turn 2 Sports Cards & Collectibles).

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 3, 2024


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