OHL North Bay Battalion

Troops Score Sweep with 2-1 Decision

Published on November 22, 2014 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


SUDBURY, Ont. - Ray Huether scored at 6:26 of the third period to lift the North Bay Battalion to a 2-1 victory Friday night over the Sudbury Wolves, giving the Troops a sweep of the teams' home-and-home series.

David Sherman scored the other goal for the Battalion, which got 34 saves from goaltender Jake Smith in improving its won-lost-extended record to 12-5-4 for 28 points, first in the Ontario Hockey League's Central Division.

The Troops won the opener of their only home-and-home set of the season 3-0 Thursday night.

Nathan Pancel scored for Sudbury, 4-19-0 for eight points, fifth and last in the division. Goaltender Samuel Tanguay faced 30 shots.

Huether, acquired from the Wolves in a trade Sept. 29, grabbed the puck behind the goal line and swept it home on a counterclockwise wraparound as Mike Baird, who had been directed into Tanguay by defender Austin Clapham, was sprawled on the goaltender on the opposite side of the crease.

The goal enraged hometown fans in the crowd of 4,127, but the Troops made it stand, killing a holding-the-stick penalty to Brenden Miller at 15:44 and surviving Tanguay's departure for a sixth attacker with 1:26 to play.

Sherman scored his third goal of the season at 6:06 of the first period as the Battalion crashed the net. Sherman knocked the puck under Tanguay from the left lip of the crease on assists by Marcus McIvor and Hampus Olsson.

Huether rang the puck off the crossbar early in the period before Tanguay snagged a Miles Liberati wrister at 5:41.

Baird, who had an interference penalty pending, fought Matt Schmalz at 17:32. Both got majors, and Schmalz received an instigating minor and misconduct.

Pancel tied it at 6:05 of the second period after a turnover off a weak Battalion breakout. Nicholas Baptiste fed Pancel loose in the high slot, and he snapped the puck over Smith's glove for a 10th goal.

The Troops' Nick Paul, open on the right side, fired wide on a power-play setup early in the frame, and a Huether shot glanced off Tanguay's glove and the right post in the eighth minute. Tanguay robbed Brett McKenzie, cruising across the goalmouth, with a right-pad save at the post in the 18th minute.

The Battalion returns to action when it hosts the Guelph Storm at 7 p.m. Thursday.

BATTALION BULLETS: The crowd included a busload of North Bay fans ... In an unusual scene, Wolves mascot Howler high-fived Battalion players filing off their bench after the game ... Smith recorded his 43rd career win, sixth on the franchise list, one ahead of Kevin Couture ... Paul, who earned his 100th OHL point with an assist on Mike Amadio's second goal Thursday night, saw the end of a five-game points streak during which he had three goals and five assists for eight points ... Olsson's assist was the first OHL point for the Swedish import ... Amadio had a three-game points streak stopped. He had three goals and one assist for four points in the span ... The Battalion is 8-2-1 in the division and 11-4-2 in the Eastern Conference ... North Bay went 0-for-3 on the power play. Sudbury was 0-for-5 ... Opening line combinations included Paul centring Jared Steege on left wing and Amadio on right wing, McKenzie centring left winger Zach Bratina and right winger Alex Henriksson and Huether pivoting left winger Baird and right winger Mathew Santos. Zach Poirier centred left winger Sherman and right winger Olsson ... The Battalion scratched Zach Shankar, Owen Green and Calvin Gomes, while Sudbury scratched Trenton Bourque and Michael Pezzetta ... The referees were Scott Oakman and Andrew Thompson.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 22, 2014


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