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OHL Soo Greyhounds

Late Power Play Goal Helps Hounds Edge Storm

January 16, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Soo Greyhounds News Release


SAULT STE. MARIE, ON- It took until the late stages of the third period before the Soo Greyhounds could put the game away, and skate to their 5th consecutive victory overall, and 19th this season on home ice.

With that said, the Hounds Head Coach credited the visiting Guelph Storm for making it hard on his troops Friday Night.

"I thought we were really good in the first period, and we were not very good in the second and third" began Keefe.

"They made it hard on us, they played extremely hard.� They're shorthanded tonight.� They're best players played a lot and played very, very well and made it tough on us" he continued.

Along with taking an early 4-1 shot advantage in the first, the Storm would open the scoring 2:41 into the game.

Zac Leslie skated up the right wing and around the Greyhounds defence before netting his 7th goal of the year for the 1-0 lead.

From there the Hounds took over the first period with shots and chances before eventually taking the lead.

JARED MCCANN tied the game before it was ten minutes old receiving a heads-up pass from NICK RITCHIE sending him through a pair of Storm defenders.

Going in on Bradley Van Schubert, McCann looked to the blocker side and was successful for his 17th goal of the year and a 1-1 game.

For McCann, that was his 3rd goal in as many games.

The two teams traded chances late in the period, then with the Greyhounds buzzing in the final minute, SERGEY TOLCHINSKY would give the Hounds their first lead of the night with roughly twenty-eight seconds on the clock.

The Hounds leading scorer took the puck to the goal up the right wing side, and tucked in his own rebound at 19:31 for the 2-1 Greyhounds lead.

The Hounds outshot Guelph 18-5 in the period, including a run of 18-1 over the final three-quarters of the period.

A late penalty saw the Storm start the second and they wasted little time before tying the game.

Just seventeen seconds into the second period, Guelph captain Jason Dickinson jammed the puck from the left of BRANDON HALVERSON for his 14th goal of the season, pulling the Storm even at 2-2.

Luke Burghradt set-up a one-time shot with the game event, but HALVERSON came up with a big stop keeping the two teams deadlocked.

The two teams traded chances the rest of the way, while skating scoreless despite a combined 37 shots.

"I'm not sure we expected it necessarily.� I thought the first period was what we were capable of doing today but certainly the fact they gave us a little push back and played us as hard as they did we get a little better feel from our guys where we're at and what we need to work at" explained Keefe when asked about the closer game than Wednesday (a 12-5 win over Saginaw), and if it was what he expected.

"I thought we could have put the game away in the first period and failed to do so."

Guelph had a chance early in the third on their 4th and final man advantage, but the Hounds weathered the storm.

The game-winning goal came with 4:25 to play in the third period when BLAKE SPEERS skate the puck up the right wing and deep into Guelph territory before finding NICK RITCHIE for his 5th goal as a Greyhound.

That goal came eighteen seconds into a Greyhound power play.

"It was a great play, good vision by Speersy (Blake Speers) to see that opportunity to open up.� He came with a lot of speed through the neutral zone, Ritchie is in the right spot, right time and finished it.� That's the kind of goal, kind of moment you need from your good players" explained Keefe of the game-winner.

Minutes later, BRANDON HALVERSON made his biggest save of the game, getting a left pad on a Tyler Bertuzzi attempt, foiling the Storm's chance of evening the score and preserving the 3-2 Greyhounds victory.

For Halverson it was one of his 31 saves of the night.

"I thought the second and third period he was very good.� Guelph scored on their first two scoring chances of the game, they had only one in the first period and it went in and they scored on their first shot of the second period, I wasn't thrilled with that" stated Keefe.

"But he was tested a lot of after that, more than we would have liked, and I thought he was outstanding."

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 16, 2015


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