Stingy Sudbury Downs Colts
January 2, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Barrie Colts News Release
The 7th meeting this season between the Barrie Colts and Sudbury Wolves took place Thursday night in Barrie. The season series has been heavily slanted in favour of the Colts thus far, as they've come away with wins in 5 of 6 previous meetings this season. This matchup would mark the first game of the new year for both squads. Sudbury could improve on their body of work from 2024, hovering around the middle of the Eastern Conference, while the Colts look to replicate the success they had last year and solidify their position leading the pack.
Discipline became an issue early for Barrie, taking two minor penalties in the first 5 minutes of the game and forcing their league-best penalty kill unit to bail them out early. The Sudbury power play, which operates at a potent 26.4% clip, would eventually prevail, beating Ben Hrebik to get out to an early 1-0 lead. After the offence grew stagnant in the middle minutes of the frame, these divisional foes made it clear that they were at least beginning to grow tired of each other within the scrums developed after the whistle. The tension between the Colts and Wolves was an unsurprising development considering they've already played an entire playoff series against each other here at the midway mark of the season. Riley Patterson got Barrie back on track tying the game at 1 with his 17th of the season. Sudbury's Kocha Delic then scored two goals of his own, including one with 23 seconds remaining in the period, to lift the Wolves to a 3-1 lead heading into the intermission.
The lack of goals to start the second period left the hot-of-late Ben Hrebik to make the first big play, robbing the Wolves once with the glove, and then again with the paddle. Hrebik continues to turn heads as the starter in Sam Hillebradnt's stead, he was named OHL's goaltender of the month for December. Aside from a few offensive spurts from the Colts, it was all Sudbury in this period as they controlled the flow of play and managed to keep their opposition scoreless throughout the middle frame. If it weren't for a Sudbury goal in the final minutes of the period it would have been completely scoreless, instead, the Wolves carried a 4-1 stranglehold over Barrie into the 3rd.
Offence remained snakebitten as a whole in the final frame, with the goalies stealing the show yet again. Despite letting in a slew of goals to begin the game, Hrebik managed to settle down, allowing just 1 goal in the final forty minutes. Unfortunately for Ben, the Colts gave him little to no help as they failed to score outside of Riley Patterson's tally in the first. Sudbury's 4-1 victory is their second straight over Barrie after dropping their first 5 contests against them. Barring a meeting in the playoffs, these teams will meet for one last hurrah this season on March 9th in Sudbury.
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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2025
- Pridham Scores Overtime Winner, Kitchener Begin New Year with a Win - Kitchener Rangers
- Epperson's Three-Point Night Leads Spirit to First Win of 2025 - Saginaw Spirit
- Stingy Sudbury Downs Colts - Barrie Colts
- Bowen Stops 36 as Battalion Beat Petes in North Bay - Peterborough Petes
- Friday Is Dr. Oetker Night at the Sleeman Centre - Guelph Storm
- Overage Defenseman Forgione Commits to University of Vermont - Saginaw Spirit
- Hrebik Named Top Performer of the Month for December - Barrie Colts
- Beckett Sennecke Named OHL Player of the Month - Oshawa Generals
- OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for December - OHL
- Lev Katzin Named OHL Rookie of the Month - Guelph Storm
- 67's Will Gerrior Commits to the University of Maine - Ottawa 67's
- December Recap - Barrie Colts
- Rangers Open the New Year in Brantford with Matchup against Bulldogs - Kitchener Rangers
- Game Day - January 2 - GUE vs. WSR - Guelph Storm
- Game Preview: Spirit vs Ottawa 67's - Saginaw Spirit
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