Battalion wins 5-2 for split
Ethan Procyszyn scored two goals and added an assist to power the North Bay Battalion to a 5-2 victory Sunday over the Sudbury Wolves and a split of their Ontario Hockey League home-and-home series.
Parker Vaughan provided one goal and two assists and Nick Wellenreiter one goal and one assist, with Ryder Cali also scoring for the Battalion as goaltender Jack Lisson made 25 saves before a crowd of 2,782.
North Bay, which lost 6-2 Friday night at Sudbury, moved its won-lost-extended record to 19-16-2 for 40 points, tied with the idle Niagara IceDogs for second place in the Central Division. The Troops had lost their previous three games since a 6-2 home-ice decision Dec. 18 over the Guelph Storm.
Kieron Walton had one goal and one assist and Nathan Villeneuve the other goal for the Wolves. Goaltender Paolo Frasca faced 40 shots, including a Lirim Amidovski penalty shot.
Sudbury is 15-21-1 for 31 points, tied with the Brampton Steelheads for fourth place in the division after Brampton’s 4-3 loss later Sunday to the host Saginaw Spirit.
Sudbury trailed 3-1 at the second intermission but pulled within a goal at 1:23 of the third period when Villeneuve snapped his 16th goal of the season from the left circle on assists by Walton and Jan Chovan.
Procyszyn restored North Bay’s two-goal lead at 7:20. Vaughan left a drop pass for Wellenreiter on the left wing, and he centred the puck to the swooping Procyszyn, who went to his backhand and hoisted the rubber behind Frasca. It was the captain’s team-leading 12th goal.
Cali completed the scoring at 12:52, converting a rebound for his eighth goal, assisted by Amidovski and Nolan Laird, who celebrated his 20th birthday.
Vaughan scored shorthanded at 3:45 of the first period, taking a lead pass from Carter Kunopaski down the left wing and, eluding Luca Blonda, cutting to the slot to beat Frasca. It was Vaughan’s ninth goal.
Amidovski was awarded the penalty shot after being fouled from behind on a breakaway by Artem Gonchar, with play continuing until 10:32. Amidovski fired wide on the shot attempt.
Alexander Karmanov objected to liberties taken by Sudbury’s Finn Kearns at a stoppage at the Battalion net at 13:50, raining blows down on the six-foot-three Kearns, who surrendered nine inches to his opponent. Each received a roughing minor and misconduct.
Procyszyn tipped a right-point shot by Adrian Manzo in the goalmouth 55 seconds into the middle period, with the puck popping over Frasca. Jonathan Kapageridis had the other assist.
Walton replied at 8:41, putting the puck to the net from the right circle and having it barely trickle across the line behind Lisson. Liam Ladds and Chovan assisted on Walton’s team-leading 23rd goal.
Wellenreiter connected for what proved to be the winner at 14:01 after Procyszyn won a left-wing faceoff back to Vaughan. Wellenreiter cruised across the mid slot and fired his 11th goal past a Procyszyn screen.
The Battalion plays host to the Ottawa 67’s at 7 p.m. Thursday on Crime Stoppers Night.
BATTALION BULLETS: In the Hwy-17 Rivalry Challenge presented by Boart Longyear, fans donated 2,682 pounds to the North Bay Food Bank. Sudbury hoped to have its count from Friday night done by Monday … The Battalion wore its dark uniforms at home, as is the OHL practice starting Jan. 1 … It was the fourth of eight season meetings, with the Battalion holding a record of 3-1-0. In three games at Sudbury, the Troops won 4-3 in overtime Sept. 19 and 3-1 on Oct. 3 before the setback Friday night. The next encounter is Jan. 15 at North Bay … Procyszyn, Cali, Laird, Cam Warren and Bronson Ride led the Troops with four shots on goal apiece … The Battalion went 0-for-3 on the power play. Sudbury was 0-for-4 … Opening line combinations featured Procyszyn centring left winger Wellenreiter and right winger Vaughan, Cali pivoting left winger Laird and right winger Amidovski and Warren centring left winger Jax Pereira and right winger Shamar Moses. Evgeny Dubrovtsev centred left winger Arseny Pronin and right winger Ryder Carey … Defence pairs had Ride with Brandt Harper, Kapageridis with Manzo and Karmanov with Kunopaski … The Battalion was without Aaron Enright, Kent Greer, Declan Gallivan and Kaden Pitre … Chovan returned to OHL action after scoring Slovakia’s goal in a 7-1 quarterfinal loss to Canada in the World Junior Championship at Minneapolis on Friday night … Damian Figueira and Sean Kimmerly were the referees.
