Sports stats



Whalers win in the pink

October 24, 2009 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


PLYMOUTH, MI - The Plymouth Whalers broke a 1-1 tie after one period with three unanswered goals in the second period and two more in the third to defeat the Belleville Bulls, 6-1, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Saturday night in Plymouth's Pink Out! for Breast Cancer Awareness before 2,721 at Compuware Arena.

The Whalers wore pink jerseys specifically designed for tonight's game and auctioned them off during the game, with the proceeds of the jersey sale, Chuck-A Puck promotion and 50/50 raffle all going to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Plymouth - who defeated Kitchener, 2-0, on Friday - improves to 9-5-0-0. Belleville is now 4-9-1-0.

After being shut out for two straight games, Plymouth's Tyler Seguin rebounded with a vengeance, leading the Whalers attack with two goals and two assists as the game's first star. Seguin (second in OHL scoring with 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in 14 games) has been the first star in four of Plymouth's six home games this year at Compuware Arena.

Besides Seguin, Tyler J. Brown (second), Josh Brittain (fourth of the year and first for Plymouth), Josh Bemis (second) and Austin Mattson (first OHL goal) scored single goals for the Whalers. Plymouth goaltender Matt Hackett stopped 34-of-35 shots as the game's second star and Whaler penalty killers pitched a shutout for the second consecutive game. After killing off all 11 Kitchener power plays Friday night, Plymouth went nine-for-nine on the penalty kill tonight.

"We worked on the penalty kill two or three times last week in practice," said Seguin, who wore the C tonight. "We really wanted to bear down on that and it came through again tonight."

Adam Payerl (third) scored the lone Belleville goal.

Brown (shot from the right hashmark at 2:47) and Payerl (severe angle from the right goal line at 13:20) traded goals in the first period, which ended even at 1-1.

Seguin figured in on all three Plymouth goals in the second period. Seguin cut to the left of the Belleville goal and found Brittain on the right wing side of the net at 1:55 of the period to give the Whalers a 2-1 lead. Later on, Seguin won a faceoff cleanly in the Belleville zone and found Bemis at the right point. The defenseman's shot (top shelf) beat Belleville goaltender Tyson Teichmann cleanly at 10:25. Seguin gave the Whalers a 4-1 lead at 17:44 when he worked around a Belleville defenseman, toe-dragged to the left hashmark and drilled the shot past Teichmann.

"It was a 2-on-1," said Seguin. "I just looked over my shoulder and tried to beat him (the defender). Luckily, the toe-drag worked and I saw the top shelf there, and that's where I put the puck."

Seguin's second of the night and 17th goal of the year came at 4:19 of the third period and started with Stefan Noesen's check of a Belleville defender in neutral ice. The puck squirted to Seguin, who carried it to the left circle in the Belleville zone and beat Teichmann with the shot.

"Noesen went in there and finished his check and took his man out," Seguin said. "I just picked up the puck and had speed, went wide and saw the low corner open."

Mattson completed the scoring with a severe angle shot from the right wing that went top shelf at 6:10.

Plymouth outshot Belleville, 36-35.

The Whalers are back home next Friday night, hosting Owen Sound at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena. Next Friday night will be another $5 Friday night, with specific sections of Compuware Arena being offered for just $5. -END-

For information on Whalers ticket packages or to plan a group event, visit plymouthwhalers.com or call 734-453-8400

• Discuss this story on the Ontario Hockey League message board...

Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 24, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central