Snow heats up for IceDogs
Cameron Snow scored a goal as the Niagara IceDogs topped the Mississauga Steelheads 4-3 Thursday night. Photo: OHL IMAGES.
Scoring goals is nothing new for Cameron Snow.
The 18-year-old forward pumped in 46 last season while playing for the Hill Academy U16 Prep team and has recently begun to show that touch at the Ontario Hockey League level.
Snow netted his sixth of the season and second in as many games as the Niagara IceDogs edged the Mississauga Steelheads 5-3 Thursday in St. Catharines.
“It feels good to get going but I’m really glad we got the win tonight. That’s all that really matters,” he said. “It feels good to get more ice time. I’m just trying to make the most of it when I get out there.”
Snow, a seventh-round selection (132nd overall) in the 2018 OHL draft, went the first 30 games of his OHL career before he finally found the back of the net with a pair of goals Dec. 19 versus Kingston.
“I just kept thinking it was going to come and kept working hard in practice,” he said. “I kept my head in the game and kept going.”
Snow, who is listed at 5-foot-8, 155 pounds, admitted there is a huge difference between midget and the OHL.
“The speed mostly . . . The plays are so much faster and you have to think a millisecond quicker to make that smart play,” he said.
IceDogs head coach Billy Burke loves Snow’s skill set.
“Like all guys, he had huge numbers last year so he’s got the offence in him,” Burke said. “He’s an undersized guy but he works very hard.
“The big thing for him is he’s smart. He’s incredibly smart and skilled. He’s not the fastest guy — I think he’s got to get a little quicker for his size — but he can put up points. I’m very excited. I think we’ve got a real one in him.”
The Steelheads outshot the IceDogs 15-8 in the first period on a pair of goals by Richard Whittaker and former IceDog Liam Ham. Oliver Castleman scored with nine seconds to play to get Niagara on the board.
The IceDogs rebounded with three straight in the second to take a 4-2 lead before James Hardie’s power-play goal late in the second brought the Steelheads back to within one.
The Steelheads pressed hard for the equalizer but Castleman scored into an empty net to seal the deal.
IceDogs goalie Andrew MacLean turned in a stellar performance, kicking out 43 shots.
“I think he’s got a little more comfortable every game here, and that’s great to see,” Burke said. “He’s got that personality of a goalie where he doesn’t get down when things don’t go his way.
“It was a great performance, calm. He sure drove the bus in the third period.”
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the IceDogs, who improved to 17-21-4-1.
“There aren’t going to be any easy ones for us the rest of the way,” Burke said. “It’s going to pay off for us down the road, all these close games. It’s great experience.”
Ice cubes: Christian Sbaraglia, Isaac Enright, Ivan Lodnia and Ethan Sims were scratched for the IceDogs . . . Rylan Bowers, Chad Sharpe, Ole Bjorgvik-Holm and Aiden Prueter did not play for the Steelheads . . . Mississauga feature three NHL picks: Keean Washkurak (St. Louis), Cole Schwindt (Florida) and Thomas Harley (Dallas) . . . IceDogs defenceman Mason Howard had at least three blocked shots in the first period and had several more in the final two periods.
IceDogs 5 Steelheads 3
BPSN Star of the Game: Niagara goalie Andrew MacLean with 43 saves.
Niagara IceDogs: Oliver Castleman 2 (19, 20); Jake Uberti (11); Cameron Butler (14); Cameron Snow (6).
Mississauga Steelheads: James Hardie (23); Richard Whittaker (16); Liam Ham (3).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Joe Ranger/Kai Edmonds (17); by Mississauga on MacLean (47); Power plays: Niagara 2-for-4, Mississauga 1-f0r-4; Penalty minutes: Niagara 12, Mississauga 10.
Attendance: 4,514
Up next: At Ottawa Saturday and Kingston Sunday.
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