Quizzer83
10-23-2007, 10:29 PM
Dogs get iced by London
Travis MacKenzie
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Sports (http://www.brockpress.com/news/2007/10/23/Sports/)
Even as they entered the game with a 2-6 record and with two of their star players currently on NHL rosters, the London Knights still carry the same aura of the team that has won four straight OHL Midwest Divisions. The league's cornerstone franchise paid their only visit this season to St. Catharines, and left with a 6-3 victory over the hometown Niagara IceDogs.
The two teams played to a sold-out crowd of 3,145 at the Gatorade Garden City Complex in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate. The teams were tied at one after both the first and second periods, before a scoring outburst took place in the third. The IceDogs held two different one-goal leads before London took over the rest of the way, scoring four unanswered goals.
"We played a pretty good game," said Niagara head coach Mario Cichello. "We made two mistakes, and they capitalized on our two mistakes, but that's part of hockey."
The two mistakes Cichello made reference to include a third period giveaway that led to London's Kevin Montgomery tying the game at two, and a later sequence in which a Niagara defender got checked in London's defensive zone, leaving the IceDogs shorthanded on the turnover.
Until those mistakes took place, Niagara seemed to have the game under control, despite being outshot 36-21 through two periods (48-35 at the end of the game) and with defending OHL Goaltender of the Year, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, and Team Canada star Steve Mason tending the net for London.
"We were trying not to get any clear shots on him," said Cichello of Oakville's Mason. "You've gotta get traffic in front of him. He's too good of a goalie just to get a direct shot. Our first goal that beat him, that was a real good shot by (Luca) Caputi."
Caputi's goal allowed the IceDogs to strike first, just over 11 minutes into the game. The team's leading scorer sent a slapshot past Mason for his ninth goal of the season. It appeared as if that goal would be the first period's only scoring, until London equalized on a power play goal by their leading scorer, Patrick Maroon, with just over three seconds left. Though both teams had their opportunities in the next period, no more goals were scored until the final 20 minutes.
Stefan Legein's tenth goal of the season just over a minute into the period ended the goal-scoring drought, but London quickly struck back with Montgomery's first of the year. IceDogs captain Michael Swift took only 56 seconds to get Niagara the lead back, but it was only another 60 until the Knights' Justin Taylor knotted the score back up. Jadran Beljo, recently traded away by the IceDogs and booed all night by die-hard fans, put the game-winner past Niagara's Andrew Loverock with about seven minutes to play. Taylor and Maroon added insurance goals and the Knights cruised from there.
Coach Cichello was well aware that the IceDogs were very much in this game until late.
"We probably deserved better than a 6-3 game," he said.
As for the Knights, the return of Mason from the Blue Jackets, where he began the NHL season, seems to have helped the team recover from the feared loss of their three best players to the top level. Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner remain on NHL rosters. After an 0-6 start, London's win stands as their third straight, and they are now tied for third place in the Midwest Division.
The IceDogs remain on top of the Central Division, despite splitting a home-and-home series with Barrie on Saturday and Sunday.
They now embark on a three game road trip, and return home to face the Plymouth Whalers on Nov. 1.
Link: http://media.www.brockpress.com/media/storage/paper384/news/2007/10/23/Sports/Dogs-Get.Iced.By.London-3051079.shtml
Travis MacKenzie
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Sports (http://www.brockpress.com/news/2007/10/23/Sports/)
Even as they entered the game with a 2-6 record and with two of their star players currently on NHL rosters, the London Knights still carry the same aura of the team that has won four straight OHL Midwest Divisions. The league's cornerstone franchise paid their only visit this season to St. Catharines, and left with a 6-3 victory over the hometown Niagara IceDogs.
The two teams played to a sold-out crowd of 3,145 at the Gatorade Garden City Complex in a game that was much closer than the final score would indicate. The teams were tied at one after both the first and second periods, before a scoring outburst took place in the third. The IceDogs held two different one-goal leads before London took over the rest of the way, scoring four unanswered goals.
"We played a pretty good game," said Niagara head coach Mario Cichello. "We made two mistakes, and they capitalized on our two mistakes, but that's part of hockey."
The two mistakes Cichello made reference to include a third period giveaway that led to London's Kevin Montgomery tying the game at two, and a later sequence in which a Niagara defender got checked in London's defensive zone, leaving the IceDogs shorthanded on the turnover.
Until those mistakes took place, Niagara seemed to have the game under control, despite being outshot 36-21 through two periods (48-35 at the end of the game) and with defending OHL Goaltender of the Year, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, and Team Canada star Steve Mason tending the net for London.
"We were trying not to get any clear shots on him," said Cichello of Oakville's Mason. "You've gotta get traffic in front of him. He's too good of a goalie just to get a direct shot. Our first goal that beat him, that was a real good shot by (Luca) Caputi."
Caputi's goal allowed the IceDogs to strike first, just over 11 minutes into the game. The team's leading scorer sent a slapshot past Mason for his ninth goal of the season. It appeared as if that goal would be the first period's only scoring, until London equalized on a power play goal by their leading scorer, Patrick Maroon, with just over three seconds left. Though both teams had their opportunities in the next period, no more goals were scored until the final 20 minutes.
Stefan Legein's tenth goal of the season just over a minute into the period ended the goal-scoring drought, but London quickly struck back with Montgomery's first of the year. IceDogs captain Michael Swift took only 56 seconds to get Niagara the lead back, but it was only another 60 until the Knights' Justin Taylor knotted the score back up. Jadran Beljo, recently traded away by the IceDogs and booed all night by die-hard fans, put the game-winner past Niagara's Andrew Loverock with about seven minutes to play. Taylor and Maroon added insurance goals and the Knights cruised from there.
Coach Cichello was well aware that the IceDogs were very much in this game until late.
"We probably deserved better than a 6-3 game," he said.
As for the Knights, the return of Mason from the Blue Jackets, where he began the NHL season, seems to have helped the team recover from the feared loss of their three best players to the top level. Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner remain on NHL rosters. After an 0-6 start, London's win stands as their third straight, and they are now tied for third place in the Midwest Division.
The IceDogs remain on top of the Central Division, despite splitting a home-and-home series with Barrie on Saturday and Sunday.
They now embark on a three game road trip, and return home to face the Plymouth Whalers on Nov. 1.
Link: http://media.www.brockpress.com/media/storage/paper384/news/2007/10/23/Sports/Dogs-Get.Iced.By.London-3051079.shtml