OHL Niagara IceDogs

IceDogs Win First of the Season

September 30, 2011 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Niagara IceDogs News Release


Despite an injury to Visentin in the first period, Pavelka comes up big in the team's second home game

The last time Victor Terreri played in The Jack, his team suffered a 6-1 loss to Mississauga during the Eastern Conference Finals. An IceDog for parts of two seasons, Terreri returned to Niagara with the Barrie Colts for the first time since being traded for an eighth-round draft pick in next year's OHL Priority Selection. In this game, however, the IceDogs fared much better, showing why, after recording two losses to open the season, they were projected to be the number two team in the CHL.

The IceDogs generated a few quality chances early on during a 5-3 advantage after a hooking penalty was called on Brandon Devlin following an act that sent Andrew Agozzino into Colts' goaltender Clint Windsor and 52 seconds later, a delay of game penalty was assessed against Tanner Pearson after he sent the puck into the net behind Niagara goaltender Mark Visentin. Those chances continued and 9:05 into the first period, Niagara's offense came up big; Joel Wigle sent a backhand pass onto the waiting stick of Johnson Andrews for his first goal of the season and Wigle's third point in as many games. Nearly five minutes later, a Freddie Hamilton goal, assisted by Steven Shipley and brother Dougie, doubled Niagara's lead.

The IceDogs, however, suffered a blow 14:32 into the period when Visentin left the game with a groin injury following an awkward save and was replaced by rookie Jaroslav Pavelka. The native of the Czech Republic looked confident in net, playing just his second career OHL game, and inspired his team to feel the same; with 37.2 left in the period, Andrews scored his second goal of the game.

At the start of the second period, the Colts sported a new goaltender, Mathias Niederberger, who has played in all of Barrie's games this season. The change kicked some life into the team's offense but Pavelka made some stellar saves for the 'Dogs, including a shorthanded poke check on a Colts breakaway. Penalties plagued Barrie throughout the period and while the IceDogs power play looked significantly more organized than it did last night versus Mississauga, they, too, were unable to stay out of the box. The New York Islanders' 2011 sixth-round draft pick, Mitchell Theoret was sent to the box for four minutes late in the second period, assessed two minutes each for unsportsmanlike conduct and holding the stick, and the Colts capitalized. Barrie's captain Colin Behenna scored his team's first goal of the game on a wrap-around pass from league-leading scorer Tanner Pearson before the power play ended.

To start the third period, the Colts came out of the gate throwing shot after shot on Pavelka and showed why they have yet to lose this season. Following a scrum behind the IceDogs' net, Dougie Hamilton was called for roughing and just two seconds into their power play, Pearson scored his sixth of the season. Despite being outshot in the period, the IceDogs remained confident and when Billy Jenkins threw a shot on the Colts' net, overager David Pacan was in front to scoop up the rebound and restored Niagara's two-goal lead, handing the Colts their first loss of the season.

The IceDogs play tomorrow in Belleville, who have an identical record to the 'Dogs.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 30, 2011


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