The Sarnia
Sting ran
into a hot
goaltender
Friday
night. Scott
Stajcer
turned aside
33 of 35
shots he
faced in
leading the
Owen Sound
Attack to a
4-2 victory
over the
Sting before
2,823 fans
at the RBC
Centre.
The loss
dropped
Sarnia’s
record to
3-2-1-1 in
the Ontario
Hockey while
the Attack
improved to
4-1-0-0.
Stajcer, a
draft pick
of the New
York
Rangers, was
the Canadian
Hockey
League
goalie of
the week as
he has now
allowed just
eight goals
in five
games so far
this season.
He was the
first star
in last
night’s
game.
“I didn’t
mind the way
we played as
I thought we
generated a
ton of
scoring
chances,”
said Sting
head coach
Dave
MacQueen.
“Their
goalie was
the
difference.
He made some
outstanding
saves and
when we did
get the puck
behind him,
it bounced
off the
post.”
Owen Sound
led 1-0
after the
first while
the teams
were tied
1-1 after
the second.
But the
Attack came
out the
stronger
team in the
third period
and took a
3-1 lead
with two
goals 43
seconds
apart early
in the final
frame.
Sarnia was
outshot 10-0
early in the
third period
after
outshooting
Owen Sound
18-10 in
period two.
“I think we
were trying
to be a
little too
individual
early in the
third
period,”
said
MacQueen.
“The
forwards
were too far
ahead and
the defence
didn’t have
anywhere to
go with the
puck. I
thought Owen
Sound was a
little
hungrier in
the third
period. They
did a good
job in the
neutral
zone. We
tried to
stickhandle
and didn’t
get too
far.”
Sarnia’s
power play
was
zero-for-seven
after
scoring four
times two
nights
earlier in
Sault Ste.
Marie. They
went into
the game
with the
league’s
top-ranked
power play.
“Even though
are power
play was
zero-for-seven
I thought it
was very
good,”
MacQueen
said. “You
are going to
have games
like that.
We had three
back door
plays where
the goalie
made a great
save while
the other
two we
missed the
passes. We
got tipped
shots on the
net from the
point. There
were lots of
chances, we
just
couldn’t
find the
back of the
net.”
The Attack
scored the
only goal of
period one
just over
three
minutes into
the game
when Andrew
Shaw
backhanded
home a loose
puck from
close range.
The Sting
carried the
play in the
second
period and
had three
great
chances
before they
finally
scored.
Brett
Ritchie was
robbed on a
goalmouth
pass;
Stacjer
stopped Nail
Yakupov on a
breakaway
while Kale
Kerbashian
ripped a
shot off the
crossbar
while
killing a
penalty.
Sarnia
finally
solved
Stajcer at
8:34 on a
shorthanded
effort by
second round
draft pick
Garrett
Hooey.
Teammate
Tyler Peters
stole the
puck from an
Owen Sound
player along
the boards,
fed a
cross-ice
pass to
Hooey who
skated in
alone and
wristed a
low shot
into the
net. It was
his first
OHL goal.
“It feels
great to
score my
first goal,
but there’s
also that
terrible
feeling to
see that we
lost the
game,” said
Hooey. “I
don’t care
if I score
three goals
or none in a
game, I
would rather
win the game
first.”
He added,
“It was a
frustrating
game. It
seemed the
bounces just
weren’t
going our
way. Craig
Hottot had a
great fight
in the third
period to
get the
crowd back
in the game.
We just
needed a
little more
jam and
intensity.
It’s
something we
can work
on.”
The Attack
took the
lead for
good at 2:45
of period
three when
Jarrod
Maidens was
left alone
in front and
he knocked
in a rebound
off a point
shot. Kurtis
Gabriel was
credited
with Owen
Sound’s
third goal
at 3:28 as a
low shot
from the
slot through
traffic went
between the
legs of
Sting goalie
John Cullen.
Bobby
Mignardi put
Owen Sound
ahead 4-1 at
17:08 when
his wrist
shot from a
sharp angle
got past
Cullen.
Kerbashian
cut the lead
to two for
the Sting at
18:18 as he
knocked in a
nice pass
from Yakupov.
Sarnia
finished
with a 35-30
edge in
shots on
goal.
MacQueen
says he
likes the
way Hooey is
coming
along.
“He needs to
be in your
face and be
a little
hound. He’s
young and
it’s going
to take some
time. But he
goes out and
competes
every night.
When you do
that we are
going to
find more
ice time for
him like we
did tonight.
He played
hard.”
Hooey admits
the OHL is
different
than minor
midget
hockey.
“It’s a lot
different.
You go from
playing with
boys to
playing with
men. The
guys in this
dressing
room have
been great
helping me
along. It’s
challenging,
but I love
challenges.
I will take
a hit in the
corner to
make a
play.”
The Sting
returns to
action
tonight when
they host
the
Belleville
Bulls
beginning at
7:05 p.m.
- Stajcer
was first
star with
Maidens
second star
and Hooey
third star.
- Defenceman
Kyle
Flemington
of the Sting
saw his
first
regular
season
action
sitting out
the first
five games.
Anthony
Donati sat
out the
first of a
two-game
suspension
while Blake
Thomas and
Ryan
Zupancic
were both
healthy
scratches.
- Owen Sound
had just two
power play
opportunities
and did not
score.
- The Attack
are ranked
10th this
week in the
weekly
Canadian
Hockey
League
rankings.
- Sarnia’s
top draft
pick Alex
Galchenyuk
also
assisted on
Kerbashian’s
goal giving
him at least
one point in
all
six games
played so
far. But it
marked the
first time
he has not
scored in a
game.
- The Attack
was without
their top
scorer,
Colorado
Avalanche
draft pick
Joey Hishon,
due to a
hand injury.