OHL Erie Otters

Otters eye big weekend

Published on February 5, 2004 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


The ERIE OTTERS of the Ontario Hockey League have their sights set on continuing their climb up the Western Conference standings this weekend when they roll into another three-in-three weekend.

The stretch begins Friday night at the Tullio Arena when the Plymouth Whalers make their first visit of the season in a 7:30 p.m. start. Saturday night the Saginaw Spirit comes to the Tullio Arena for a 7:30 p.m. contest. The OTTERS close out the weekend with a Sunday matinee in Guelph against the Storm.

The OTTERS, 23-18-6-3, head into action this weekend tied with the Owen Sound Attack (22-19-7-4) for sixth in the Western Conference standings just a single point behind the Whalers (22-18-9-3 after a 6-1 loss in Sarnia last night) with two games in hand. ERIE is coming off a weekend in which they collected four out of a possible six points with a win over the Peterborough Petes and overtime losses to the Oshawa Generals and Sarnia Sting.

Rob Hisey has been the OTTERS offensive catalyst as of late. The veteran center is in the midst of a career-long 12-game point-scoring streak in which he has collected six goals and 17 assists for 23 points. The streak has lifted Hisey into sixth in League scoring with 25 goals and 42 assists for 67 points in 45 games. By conduct, Geoff Platt has shown he is enjoying his time as a member of the OTTERS. Since being acquired from the Saginaw Spirit just prior to the trade deadline the veteran forward has registered at least one point in all 11 games he's played with the OTTERS totaling 10 goals and six assists. On the season Platt is listed fourth in OTTERS scoring with 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 38 games.

The Whalers head into ERIE sitting fifth in the Western Conference with 56 points, six points behind the West Division-leading Sting. Fourth-year forward John Mitchell leads the Whalers in scoring with 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points in 49 games. John Vigilante is Plymouth's top goal-scorer with 22 in 50 games. The Whalers come to town owning a 14-game unbeaten streak (11-0-3 including an overtime win) against the OTTERS at the Tullio Arena dating back to March 1998.

Friday's game against the Whalers is sponsored by NEXTEL with the first 1,000 fans into the game receiving an OTTERS' souvenir puck courtesy of NEXTEL.

Saturday the OTTERS welcome the Saginaw Spirit to the Tullio Arena for another 7:30 p.m. start. The Spirit are 12-34-2-3 on the season and have lost seven straight heading into weekend action.

Overage forward Nick Lees leads the Spirit in scoring with 28 goals and 18 assists for 46 points in 48 games. Due to injury, former OTTER Sean Courtney has been limited to just five games as a member of the Spirit recording two goals and an assist.

The PA Lottery sponsors Saturday's game against the Spirit with the first 1,000 adults receiving a free Big Buck Ticket courtesy of the PA Lottery.

Tickets for both games are available at all Erie-area TicketMaster locations as well as the Erie Civic Center Box Office. The games can also be heard live on SportsRadio 1330 the FAN and at www.ottershockey.com (presented by the James H. Cross Company) beginning with pre-game show at 7:15 p.m. Friday's game against the Whalers can be seen live on the Image Sports Network (Adelphia Channel 12, Cablevision Channel 20) beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday afternoon the OTTERS travel to Guelph to meet the Storm (35-9-5 and winners of eight straight). Marty Ste. Pierre leads the Storm in scoring, and is third in the League, with 32 goals and 80 points in 49 games.

The game can be heard live on SportsRadio 1330 the FAN and at www.ottershockey.com (presented by the James H. Cross Company) beginning with the pre-game show at 1:45 p.m.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 5, 2004


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