IceDogs shoot down Colts
Niagara IceDogs goalie Christian Sbaraglia, seen here warming up, turned back 33 shots Friday as the IceDogs edged the Barrie Colts 4-3 in a shootout. Photo by: OHL IMAGES.
Things have not gone according to plan for Christian Sbaraglia this season.
The 18-year-old Mississauga native came into the season as the leading candidate to earn the starting job in goal for the Niagara IceDogs, but almost from Day 1 it has been one thing after another.
Sbaraglia was injured opening night, then incurred a five-game suspension in his next start for slashing. While he was on the sidelines, rookie Tucker Tynan seized the opportunity and established himself as the No. 1 netminder while Sbaraglia struggled to find consistency in his game.
When Tynan went down with a horrific leg injury in December, the door was again open for Sbaraglia, but he was quickly shelved with a leg problem.
Sbaraglia was given the nod between the pipes Friday night versus the Barrie Colts and put together a solid effort as the IceDogs topped the Colts 4-3 in a shootout in Ontario Hockey League action at Meridian Centre.
Sbaraglia said he doesn’t look at anything but the game in front of him.
“I just try and get the team two points every night,” he said.
Sbaraglia, however, did at admit the season has not gone quite as he would have imagined.
“It’s impossible for it not get to anyone but my parents always remind me and my friends that life’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” he said. “It’s not where you start, but where you finish.
“You just have to get better every day and do the best you can do.”
Sbaraglia said he feels good about his game.
“I feel like last year it was getting my feet wet a bit in the league and now I feel confidence to come in and make an impact every night,” he said.
IceDogs head coach Billy Burke feels Sbaraglia has all the tools to be a legitimate OHL goaltender.
“He’s got it in him,” Burke said. “He was an incredibly, highly touted goalie. We were all over him in his minor midget and his first year of junior year trying to get him here.
“We believe in him. He’s athletic and very good. It’s a big step now for him to get the opportunity. He just has to not put too much pressure on himself and just play and have fun.”
The Colts scored the lone goal of the first period when Nathan Allensen fired a shot top shelf after a misplay behind the net just 27 seconds into the game.
The IceDogs rebounded in the second to take a 2-1 lead on captain Ivan Lodnia’s 22nd of the season followed by newcomer Cameron Butler’s first as an IceDog after being acquired from Peterborough in the Akil Thomas trade.
Butler had a strong game overall with a couple of other good chances to score as well as an assist.
Barrie tied the game early in the third when Ethan Cardwell beat Sbaraglia on the power play on a shot that kicked off his arm.
Barrie then went up 3-2 when Evan Vierling scored with the man advantage with three minutes to play on a screened shot Sbaraglia had no chance on.
Oliver Castleman then netted his 17th at 18:36 on a power play to send the game into overtime.
Sbaraglia stopped all three Barrie shooters in the shootout while Lodnia netted the winner for Niagara.
“As overtime was ticking down, I was thinking if we did any shootouts this week (in practice),” Burke said. “They’re great when you win and feel weird when you lose.
“I’m real proud of Sprags. He came up big in the shootout.”
Both teams came in on four-game losing streaks. The win moves Niagara one point up on Barrie for fourth place in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
Ice cubes: Tucker Tynan, Landon Cato, Ryan Campbell and Jake Uberti did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Victor Hadfield, Ryan DelMonte and Nicholas Porco were scratched for the Colts . . . The IceDogs will be hosting a blood drive in honour of injured Tynan at the St. Catharines Blood Donor Clinic on Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. . . . The Colts feature three NHL picks (Goalie Arturs Silvos (Vancouver), Matthew Hill (Anaheim) and Porco (Dallas) . . . Burke indicated Andrew MacLean would likely start Saturday in goal versus North Bay.
STATS PACK
IceDogs 4 Colts 3 SO
BPSN Star of the Game: Niagara goalie Christian Sbaraglia with 33 saves.
Niagara IceDogs: Ivan Lodnia (22); Oliver Castleman (17); Cameron Butler (13).
Barrie Colts: Ethan Cardwell (13); Nathan Allensen (6); Evan Vierling (4).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Arturs Silovs (32), by Barrie on Sbaraglia (36); Power plays: Niagara 1-for-4, Barrie 2-for-4; Penalty minutes: Niagara 8, Barrie 11.
Attendance: 5,300 (sell out).
Up next: Home to North Bay Saturday.
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