Thursday, March 24, 2011

2011 OHL Cup - Day 2 Recap

Press Release

Day 2 of the 2011 OHL Cup Showcase Tournament continued on Wednesday with 16 round-robin games.  All the results are below.

Game 20: Oakville Rangers 3 (2-0-0) vs. St. Catharines Jr. Falcons 2 (0-1-1)
The Oakville Rangers capped off Wednesday night action with style scoring with just 12 seconds left on the clock to edge their OMHA rivals.  The Rangers, fresh off an overtime win to open the tournament, stunned the Falcons when hero Austin Kosack scored his second goal of the game with a seeing-eye backhander that snuck through traffic and past a sprawling Falcons defence.  The Falcons trailed by two in this contest but battled back with goals from Jordan Maletta and Mike Vlajkov in the second period.  Jake Smith grabbed the win in goal for the Rangers while a busy Justin Nichols earned his second MVP vote of the day between the pipes for the Falcons.

Rangers Player of the Game - Austin Kosack (2G)
Falcons Player of the Game - Justin Nichols (Goaltender)
Game Summary

Game 19: NOHA Wolves 5 (1-1-0) vs. North Jersey Americans 2 (0-2-0)
Five different NOHA players recorded multi-point games to lead the Wolves to their first win of the tournament.  Malcolm Bilton had a three-point game as MVP with two goals and an assist including the opening goal at 1:40 of the first period and the game-winner at 12:09 of the second.  Alex Gleason tied things up for the Americans following Bilton's first goal but the Wolves pulled away with three unanswered.  Danny Desrochers also had three points for the Wolves while Kealy Cummings, Matt Pinder, and Trevor MacDonald each had two.  Cameron Klein had a pair of assists for the Americans.  Kenny Appleby notched the win in goal for the Wolves.

Wolves Player of the Game - Malcolm Bilton (2G, 1A)
Americans Player of the Game - Nick Picnic (Defenceman)
Game Summary

Game 18: Mississauga Senators 3 (2-0-0) vs. Thunder Bay Kings 2 (0-2-0) OT
The Mississauga Senators remain unbeaten following a dramatic overtime win over the Thunder Bay Kings who fell twice in extra time on Wednesday.  Rocky Furfari was the overtime hero for the Sens scoring off a nice cross ice feed from Player of the Game Mike Soucier with just 23 seconds left in the game.  "I missed the first pass and when I got the puck again I thought he saved it," said Furfari who scored his first career overtime goal and the first for the Sens this year.  "I was so excited once I heard Mikey yelling it was in!"  The teams exchanged goals in the first period with Jordan Larson scoring for the Kings and Christian Zanetti for the Sens.  In the third period, Niko Kovachis scored for the Sens while Connor Sills replied for the Kings.

Senators Player of the Game - Mike Soucier (1A)
Kings Player of the Game - Brett Jeffries (1A)
Game Summary

Game 17: Waterloo Wolves 3 (2-0-0) vs. TPH Thunder 1 (0-2-0)
Another two-goal game by Brent Pedersen helped lift the Waterloo Wolves to a perfect start to the OHL Cup with their second win of the day.  The teams skated to a scoreless first period and it took a Jimmy Soper shot at 2:40 of the second period to open the scoring.  Pedersen scored his first at 5:32 before Brady Crabtree would give the Thunder some life at the 13:12 mark of the third.  The comeback was spoiled just seven seconds later when Pedersen scored his tournament-best fourth goal.  Darren Huck continued his strong play in goal for the Wolves winning his second game of the day maintaining a goals-against-average at 2.00.
Wolves Player of the Game - Garrett Pollock (2A)
Thunder Player of the Game - Cole Cassels (Forward)
Game Summary

Game 16: Ottawa Jr. 67's 4 (1-1-0) vs. Elgin Middlesex Chiefs 2 (0-2-0)
A pair of third period power play goals lifted the ODMHA Champion 67's to their first win of the tournament.  With the score tied 1-1, Jacob Jammes scored the first of two goals just 29 seconds in the period and was followed just over six minutes later by Matthew Hudson who also had a two-point night.  The 67's were determined to bounce back following an overtime loss earlier in the day.  "It took a lot out of us," said 67's Player of the Game Brandon Seatter.  "We hadn't played a game in 12 days so we didn't come out hard at all this morning, this was a more fast paced game for us."  Mitchell Fitzmorris brought the ALLIANCE Champions within reach with his third period goal but Gunner Rivers shut the door to earn the win.  The only other shot to beat Rivers was a nifty penalty shot deke score by Bo Horvat in the second period.
67's Player of the Game - Brandon Seatter (Forward)
Chiefs Player of the Game - Derek Todosichuk (1A)
Game Summary

Game 15: Ottawa Valley Titans 6 (2-0-0) vs. Halton Hurricanes 3 (0-2-0)
The Ottawa Valley Titans put themselves in good position after Wednesday remaining undefeated in Division 1 alongside the Toronto Marlboros after defeating the OMHA's Bronze Medalists the Halton Hurricanes.  A hat-trick by the Hurricanes' Jacob Harris could not stop the Titans from taking the win led by Stephen Cooney with two goals and two assists.  Teammate John McLean took MVP honours with a pair of goals, while Jesse Blais netted his third goal of the tournament and added an assist.  The teams traded a pair of goals in the first period before the Titans scored three unanswered in the second period taking full advantage of a string of Hurricane penalties going 4/7 with the man advantage.  Troy Gauthier earned the win in goal for the Titans in his first tournament start.

Titans Player of the Game - John McLean (2G)
Hurricanes Player of the Game - Liam Clare (Defenceman)
Game Summary

Game 14: Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs 4 (1-1-0) vs. Markham Majors 1 (1-1-0)
Having already suffered a loss today, the Bulldogs needed a win and got the start they wanted with a quick goal by Brandon Vuic at 3:46 of the first period.  Nicholas Dozzi had a two-point game scoring less than three minutes after Vuic to make it 2-0 for the OMHA wildcards.  The Majors replied with the only goal of the second period when Ryan Kirkup managed to find some twine behind Bulldogs MVP Corey Foster who earned the win in goal in his first tournament start.  Jacob Golow and Josh Pace each scored third period goals to bring the Bulldogs even with the Majors at 1-1-0 in a tight Division 4 race.

Bulldogs Player of the Game - Corey Foster (Goaltender)
Majors Player of the Game - Sean Power (Defenceman)
Game Summary

Game 13: York Simcoe Express 3 (1-1-0) vs. Welland Tigers 1 (0-2-0)
The York Simcoe Express trailed early but scored three unanswered goals to pick up their first win of the 2011 OHL Cup putting the OMHA Champion Welland Tigers in a tough position at no wins two losses.  Tyler Jackson scored for the Tigers from Ryan Coulter at 6:15 of the first period to grab a lead they would hold for nearly a period.  The Express found second period offense from Steven Varga and Tyler Smokler who netted the game-winner with just two seconds left in the middle frame.  The Express held on throughout the third period until finding some insurance from Justin Maiolino who buried an empty-netter with under a minute to play.  Jack McDonald picked up his first win in goal for the Express.

Express Player of the Game - John Gage (Forward)
Tigers Player of the Game - Tyler Jackson (1G)
Game Summary

Game 12: St. Catharines Jr. Falcons 0 (0-0-1) vs. Don Mills Flyers 0 (1-0-1)
This marked the third game on Wednesday that required extra time but ended with the first tie of the tournament.  Both goalies played outstanding and it was not for a lack of scoring opportunities that kept the scoreboard blank.  The Flyers were forced to kill a late penalty in regulation and into the early part of overtime but the Falcons could not solve Charlie Graham who made his first start of the tournament in goal for the Flyers and had the help of some great defensive play shorthanded.  Across the ice and not to be outdone, Justin Nichols stood tall and challenged shooters all game facing some tough shots when playing four-on-four in the extra time.

Falcons Player of the Game - Justin Nichols (Goaltender)
Flyers Player of the Game - Charlie Graham (Goaltender)
Game Summary

Game 11: Toronto Marlboros 3 (2-0-0) vs. NOHA Wolves 2 (0-1-0)
The trio of Nicholas Ritchie, Bryson Cianfrone, and Cody Thompson provided the offense for the Marlies who picked up their second win of the tournament.  All three players had two-point performances beginning with a Ritchie goal at 1:39 of the opening frame.  Danny Desrochers tied the game on one of the Wolves' eight power play opportunities capitalizing at 6:23 of the second period.  Thompson setup both Cianfrone and Ritchie in the first four minutes of the third to stretch the Marlies lead to 3-1.  The Wolves added a late goal by Jonathan Lavigne with just 17 seconds remaining to come within one.  Alexander Fotinos got the start in goal for the Marlies and earned the win meanwhile Jean Marc Desormeaux was kept very busy between the pipes for the Wolves and performed well.
Marlboros Player of the Game - Bryson Cianfrone (1G, 1A)
Wolves Player of the Game - Jean Marc Desormeaux (Goaltender)
Game Summary

Game 10: Barrie Colts 5 (1-1-0) vs. TPH Thunder 4 (0-1-0)
The OMHA Finalist Colts managed to squeek a win away from the USA-Invite Thunder who were playing in their first game of the tournament.  The two teams filled the scoresheet in the highest scoring game of the tournament so far and likely the most unusual one as well.  The Colts cruised to a 4-0 lead through just over 20 minutes only to see their lead disappear by four straight Thunder goals to knot the score with just minutes remaining on a goal by Connor McKenzie.  The tie was short lived as the Colts' Bradley Latour finished his three-point night with the game-winning goal just 15 seconds later.  Jake Ireland held on for the win in goal for the Colts who had four players record multi-point games.
Colts Player of the Game - Alex Carnevale (2G)
Thunder Player of the Game - Corey Kennedy (1G, 1A)
Game Summary

Game 9:  Toronto Jr. Canadiens 3 (2-0-0) vs. Thunder Bay Kings 2 (0-1-0) OT
Dalton Hnatko scored 1:20 into the extra frame to keep the Toronto Jr. Canadiens undefeated after two round-robin games.  Hnatko also picked up an assist on the game-tying goal scored by Tyler Ganley on the power play at 6:23 of the third period.  The Jr. Canadiens grabbed the early lead with Scott Teskey's third goal of the tournament at 3:59 of the first period.  The Kings were able to regroup after the first and found a pair of goals late in the second period in a span of a minute and 15 seconds starting with Jordan Larson at 11:09 then Brett Jeffries at 12:24.  Spencer Martin earned his second win between the pipes for the Jr. Canadiens.
Canadiens Player of the Game - Dalton Hnatko (1G, 1A)
Kings Player of the Game - Riley Corbin (Goaltender)
Game Summary

Game 8: Ottawa Valley Titans 3 (1-0-0) vs. North Jersey Americans 0 (0-1-0)
The Titans looked poised for an easy win early on in the contest when Jim Pearson slid a rebound home just 24 seconds into the game.  The Americans, however, settled down and kept up with the Titans and the game quickly belonged to the goalies.  Chris Birdsall kept the Americans alive throughout the game facing consistent pressure and Justin LaForest made some key saves down the stretch to earn the shutout.  Jesse Blais put the game away for the Titans with two goals, both assisted by Stephen Cooney.
Titans Player of the Game - Justin LaForest (Shutout)
Americans Player of the Game - Chris Birdsall (Goaltender)
Game Summary

Game 7: Oakville Rangers 3 (1-0-0) vs. Ottawa Jr. 67's 2 (0-1-0) OT
The first overtime finish of the 2011 OHL Cup favoured the OMHA's Oakville Rangers in a thrilling 3-2 win over the ODMHA Champion Ottawa Jr. 67's.  Ian Chan was the hero for the Rangers burying a rebound with just six seconds to play in the game.  The Rangers led early with Ryan Burns scoring 34 seconds into play.  The 67's came back and took the lead going into the third period with goals by Jacob Jammes and Daniel Disipio.  Burns picked up his second goal of the game which tied the score at 8:38 of the third period.  Zacharie Hamilton held the 67's in the game and received well deserved MVP honours.

Rangers Player of the Game - Ian Chan (GWG)
67's Player of the Game - Zacharie Hamilton (Goaltender)
Game Summary

Game 6: Mississauga Senators 2 (1-0-0) vs. Welland Tigers 1 (0-1-0)
Poor southern Ontario morning weather delayed the start of this game as players filed into the rink just minutes before puck-drop.  The Senators took advantage of the short Tigers bench and were the first to find the net courtesy of Troy Crema at 8:10 of the second period on the power play.  The Tigers quickly gained momentum and battled throughout the contest to tie things up at 5:15 of the third period on a goal by Anthony DiFruscia.  The game went down to the wire and the Senators would prevail over the OMHA Champions as Nicholas Santoro capitalized on a late power play opportunity and scored the game-winner with just 24 seconds left in regulation.

Senators Player of the Game - Lucas Peressini (Goaltender)
Tigers Player of the Game - Tyler Stranges (Forward)
Game Summary

Game 5: Waterloo Wolves 4 (1-0-0) vs. Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs 2 (0-1-0)
After giving up an early second period goal the Waterloo Wolves stormed back with three unanswered to claim the lead and their first win at the 2011 OHL Cup.  MacKenzie Clutsam opened the scoring for the Bulldogs at 3:18 before Brent Pedersen and Evan Buehler each scored less than a minute apart at 5:54 and 6:44 respectively.  Pedersen netted the game-winner with his second goal of the game with under a minute to play in the middle frame.  The Bulldogs made it interesting pulling to within one on a late power play goal by Carter Verhaeghe.  The Wolves withstood the pressure and Ryosuke Kobayashi iced the game with an empty-netter for the ALLIANCE finalists.

Wolves Player of the Game - Brent Pedersen (2G)
Bulldogs Player of the Game - Jason O'Connor (Defenceman)
Game Summary


(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

1 comment:

Ian @ CKSN said...

I'm suprised by some of these results, but I guess at this point in the season anything can happen. I would have thought Elgin would be dominating a little more than they are, and not Waterloo from the Alliance side. Although the Pederson kid was outstanding all season, including at last summer's OHL Under 16 camp. He was one of the best skaters, if not the best, at that camp which also included top prospects like Max Domi of Don Mills.