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OHL Erie Otters

Otters Win Wild One On New Year's Eve, 8-7

December 31, 2009 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Matt Paton and Mike Cazzola each scored twice for the Erie Otters but it was Andrew Yogan that scored what would end up being the deciding goal in a back-and-forth affair at the Jack Gatecliff Arena on New Year's Eve, 8-7.

The game saw the scored tied on five different occasions, and two lead changes as the IceDogs outshot the Otters, 40-39.

The Otters scored on their first two shots of the game, as Shawn Szydlowski broke the ice with his seventh goal of the season on a floater from the right point at 1:26. Just over six minutes later, Mitch Gaulton's blast from the left point gave him his fourth goal of the season at 7:27.

The IceDogs then rallied for four unanswered goals in the next 4:56 to take a 4-2 lead, but the Otters picked up a late goal with 38 seconds left in the period as Cazzola fired a one-timer pass from Zack Torquato in the right circle for his 18th goal of the season to make it a 4-3 contest.

In the second period, Paton tied the game after a wild goalmouth scramble to tally his fourth goal of the season at 6:48. The deadlock lasted for just 21 seconds as Andrew Fristch scored his sixth of the year for Niagara at 7:09.

Torquato tied the game on the power play at 9:17 when his shot from the left circle found the twine at 9:17 for his 17th goal of the season.

Fristch scored his second goal of the game at 16:34 to put the IceDogs ahead 6-5, but that lead was short-lived as Paton scored his second of the game 13 seconds later. Luciani intercepted a clearance from Matt Petgrave and faked a shot before dropping it to Paton in front of the net. Paton shot it off the glove of John Chartrand to tie the game at six going into the third period.

The game took a defensive turn in the first half of the third period as the goaltenders took center stage. Adam Wood, making his OHL debut with the Otters, stopped Agozzino on a breakaway while the Otters were on the power play, in which Chartrand made several key saves to keep the game tied.

Cazzola broke the tie with 7:13 left in regulation when he deflected a David Shields shot from the right point for his second goal of the game. Yogan picked up what would be the game-winning goal with 3:02 left when he fired a wrist shot over the right shoulder on Chartrand on a breakaway.

Fristch completed the hat trick for Niagara with 2.3 seconds left, but the game was well in doubt at that point as the Otters defeated the IceDogs for the fourth time this season. Wood made 34 saves in his OHL debut on the day Jaroslav Janus signed an NHL contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Szydlowski and Gaulton each had a goal and two assists.

The Otters return to Tullio Arena Saturday night when they take on the Guelph Storm at 7:00 p.m. It will be Bad Gift Exchange Night, and any fan that brings in an unwanted holiday gift can trade it in for a new one, and will also receive a "buy one, get one free" ticket coupon good for the Otters home game against the Kitchener Rangers on Monday, January 18.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2009


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