Barrie beats Battalion 7-4
Cole Beaudoin scored three goals, including an empty-netter, and added an assist to power the Barrie Colts to a 7-4 Ontario Hockey League victory Sunday over the North Bay Battalion and a sweep of their home-and-home series.
Ben Wilmott had two goals and one assist and Mason Zebeski one goal and one assist, with Joe Salandra also scoring. Goaltender Ben Hrebik contributed 29 saves for the Colts, who played a third game in three days but showed no signs of fatigue.
Barrie, which won 3-2 via shootout Saturday night, boosted its won-lost-extended record to 35-11-6 for 76 points, first in the Central Division. The Colts, who are 16-1-1 in their last 18 games, clinched an Eastern Conference playoff berth.
Parker Vaughan, Sebastien Gervais, Ethan Procyszyn and Brandt Harper scored for the Battalion before 2,803 at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens. Starting goaltender Jack Lisson allowed five goals on 29 shots before being relieved by Cole Vreugdenhil, who stopped four of five shots.
North Bay is 26-22-3 for 55 points, tied for second place in the division with the Niagara IceDogs, who hold a game in hand that they’ll play Monday night in a makeup date against the visiting Guelph Storm.
“We’re looking forward now,” said Battalion coach Ryan Oulahen. “We just went through what I was calling the OHL gauntlet, where all the teams we were playing were first or second in their division. Now the road ahead here, especially with our travel schedule, looks pretty good.”
Oulahen coached a 500th OHL game, with a record of 248-211-41, including 196-127-28 in 351 decisions with the Troops.
Barrie, which led 3-1 through 40 minutes, dented the Battalion’s comeback hopes with two early third-period goals, the first by Zebeski at 33 seconds that went to video review to establish that the puck was over the goal line by the left post, and the second by Beaudoin at 2:28 when he chased Lisson with a shot between the legs off a right-wing rush.
Gervais connected at 4:33 on assists by Arseny Pronin and Ryder Cali. It was Gervais’s 17th goal of the season and fifth in 14 games since arriving from the Saginaw Spirit.
Wilmott one-timed the puck from the right circle on the power play at 7:37, recording his 24th goal and 12th in 14 games since a trade from the London Knights, giving the Colts a 6-2 lead.
Procyszyn struck for his team-leading 19th goal with the man advantage at 11:53, assisted by Cali and Kent Greer, and defenceman Harper pulled the Troops within two at 18:16 with his fifth goal, assisted by Shamar Moses and Cam Warren.
Beaudoin ended the scoring into the vacant net at 19:30. The unassisted goal was his 23rd, tied with Brad Gardiner for the team lead.
The Colts jumped to a 2-0 first-period lead, sparked by Beaudoin at 1:14. Kashawn Aitcheson and Parker von Richter received assists. Salandra connected at 18:45 on a play that appeared to involve an offside zone entry, but Oulahen chose not to challenge it. Gardiner and Wilmott drew assists on rookie Salandra’s eighth goal.
Vaughan replied on the power play at 8:30 of the second period, beating Hrebik to the far side with a screened shot from the top of the right circle. Nick Wellenreiter and Kaden Pitre assisted on Vaughan’s 12th goal.
Wilmott answered 28 seconds later, getting loose in front to hoist a backhander behind Lisson. Zebeski had the lone assist. The aftermath of the goal saw two roughing minors handed out to each team, including to the Troops’ Bronson Ride, who also received a match penalty for spearing.
North Bay appeared to have scored in the final second when Lirim Amidovski’s shot from high on the right side went off Nolan Laird in front, but video review indicated that time had expired.
The Battalion plays host to the Brampton Steelheads at 7 p.m. Thursday.
BATTALION BULLETS: The game sponsor was Redpath Mining … It was the fifth of six season meetings, with the Battalion holding a record of 2-2-1. The Troops swept an early-season home-and-home set, winning 4-3 on Oct. 18 at Barrie and 3-2 via shootout Oct. 19 at North Bay, before a 3-1 home-ice loss Dec. 28. The teams meet March 7 at Barrie … In 241 games, Procyszyn has 73 goals and 80 assists for 153 points, tied with Lukas Havel for 22nd place in franchise history … Pitre, who celebrated his 20th birthday, has a six-game points streak in which he has three goals and six assists for nine points … The Battalion went 2-for-2 on the power play. Barrie was 1-for-5 … Opening lines included Procyszyn centring left winger Pitre and right winger Wellenreiter, Cali pivoting left winger Gervais and right winger Amidovski and Warren centring left winger Moses and right winger Vaughan. Evgeny Dubrovtsev centred left winger Laird and right winger Pronin … Defence pairs were Ride with Hayden Barch, Aaron Enright with Greer and Adrian Manzo with Harper … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Jonathan Kapageridis, Alexander Karmanov, Ryder Carey and Carter Kunopaski … von Richter has a six-game points streak in which he has one goal and five assists for six points … Wilmott has a five-game points streak, also a five-game goals streak, in which he has seven goals and four assists for 11 points … Mitchell Hardy and Kyle Whiteman were the referees.
