OHL Erie Otters

Otters Drop Preseason Opener to IceDogs, 2-0

Published on September 3, 2011 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


The Erie Otters opened their preseason schedule with a loss to the Niagara IceDogs at Tullio Arena Saturday night, 2-0.

The Otters rested most of their top players, including Leafs draft picks Greg McKegg and Sondre Olden, and were three men short against an IceDogs lineup featuring first round draft picks Mark Visentin, Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton.

An even first period including two power play opportunities for the Otters, but Visentin and the IceDogs penalty kill were able to shut the door on the Otters man advantage. The Otters outshot the IceDogs, 11-10, after a scoreless first 20 minutes.

The Otters were unable to capitalize on a power play early in the second period. Niagara then broke the ice with the eventual game-winning goal on a man advantage of their own, as Mitch Bennett fired a one-timer pass from Strome into the net at 7:35.

Chris Festarini played the first half of the contest for Erie, and was sharp in goal with 17 saves on 18 shots. His counterpart Visentin left the game after making 14 saves.

There would be no scoring for the remainder of the second, but a fight broke out nearly three minutes into the third as fan favorite Johnny McGuire took on Adam Desautels. After a spirited bout, each player was ejected from the game, a preseason rule.

The scoreline held until the 15:28 mark, as David Pacan added insurance for the IceDogs with a tap-in at the glove side of Tyson Teichmann, who made his first appearance in an Otters uniform.

Shots were even at 26 for each team, as the IceDogs were one-for-two on the power play, while Erie was unsuccessful on six power plays.

Also making their debuts for the Otters tonight were Liam Maaskant, Jake Evans, Tyler McCarthy, Stephen Harper, Nick Betz, Nathan Glass and Travis Wood.

The Otters return to action Friday night against the Windsor Spitfires on the road at 7:00 p.m. Fans can follow the action on the team's official Twitter page (@erieotters).

Individual tickets for the 2011-12 OHL season are now on sale. Fans can purchase tickets through the Erie Civic Center Box Office, online at OttersHockey.com or by calling 814-452-4857.

Check out the Erie Otters Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 3, 2011


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