IceDogs quell Storm
Ethan Czata was in the zone Thursday.
The sophomore centre fired his seventh goal of the season and also collected an assist as the Niagara IceDogs defeated the Guelph Storm 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action in St. Catharines.
Czata had respectable numbers in his rookie season — seven goals and 17 points — but has already tied his goal total and surpassed his points total of last year less than halfway through his second season.
“I feel way better, to be honest,” the 17-year-old Brampton native said. “I feel like the confidence is up. I feel like my skill level, physicality, strength overall and just overall play is way better this year.”
Czata admitted it’s not easy to make the jump to junior, even for high draft choices.
“You don’t want to make mistakes, you don’t want people being mad at you, so it’s more just like playing simpler,” he said. “I feel like this year I’ve adjusted to the league already, I’m used to it. I know everyone here has my back so I’m confident to make plays.”
Czata and fellow sophomore Ryan Roobroeck have developed into a dynamic duo playing on the same line. Each set the other up for a goal Thursday with well-placed passes.
“The plays he makes, it’s crazy how good he is and he’s going to have a future,” Czata said of Roobroeck. “And I believe every time I give him the puck, I know something’s going to come from it. I just go to the net.”
IceDogs coach Ben Boudreau loves the development he sees from Czata.
“He’s been in those one-goal games and he’s becoming a difference maker,” Boudreau said. “He’s growing into a man right before our eyes. The way Czata played tonight, I thought that was the best game in a year-and-a-half I’ve seen him play.
“I don’t know if it was being passed over on the (CHL) Prospects game or something, but I thought he sent a message to anybody watching he should have been in that game. If I’m an NHL prospect or if I’m a scout, that’s the kind of guy I want on my team.”
Boudreau feels the time Czata spent learning the ropes last season is paying off.
“When we played our young 16-year-olds 20 minutes a night as often as we could, it was now and next year and the year after that where it’s really going to pay dividends,” he said. “You can see Czata playing with so much experience because he’s been in those situations.”
The IceDogs built a 4-1 in the second period but the Storm battled back to make it 4-3 before Roobroeck netted his second of the night into an empty net.
“You have a 4-1 lead and you want to learn in those positions it’s not a point night,” Boudreau said. “That’s where you want to keep it 4-1. I think we’ve done that a lot and that’s something we’ve addressed. But again, I think it’s managing expectations and how you respond to those expectations.
“It’s tough to be perfect. We made a couple that ended up costing us, but it’s how we learned from it.”
Boudreau loved how rookie Max Crete dropped the gloves with Guelph rookie Carter Stevens in the second period and more than held his own.
“Max Crete took a penalty from turning the puck over, but his response in the second completely sparked our team,” Boudreau said.
Goaltender Charlie Robertson, who is coming off an injury, was back in uniform backing up Owen Flores, who turned back 32 shots to earn the win. Flores has started the last 13 in a row and Boudreau sees no reason to change that formula.
“If you’re thinking about him personally, but I think this is a team mindset,” Boudreau said when asked if he is considering using Robertson in the near future. “We’re here to make the playoffs and we’re here to win. So with the way Owen Flores is playing right now, if he’s capable of playing, he’s going to play.”
Ice cubes: Alex Assadourian, Darcy Dewatcher, Mathieu Paris and Charlie Hotles did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Zachary Jovanovski, Rowan Topp, Dawson Morris, Nathan McHattie, Daniel Berehowsky, Ryan McGuire, Quinn Beauchesne, Sam Johnston, Grant Spada and Jimmy Sutherland were scratched for the Storm . . . IceDogs assistant coach Dan Paille played four seasons for the Storm.
STATS PACK
IceDogs 5 Storm 3
Niagara’s Ethan Czata and Guelph’s Vilmer Airiksson.
Niagara IceDogs: Ryan Roobroeck 2 (17,18); Mike Levin (7); Ethan Czata (7); Masen Wray (3).
Guelph Storm: Vilmer Alriksson (7); Parker Snelgrove (6); Jett Luchanko (6).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Colin Ellsworth (40), by Guelph on Owen Flores (35); Power plays: Niagara 0/2, Guelph 0/3; Penalty minutes: Niagara 11, Guelph 9.
Attendance: 2,926.
Next up: The IceDogs are back home Friday to face Flint and head to Peterborough Sunday at 2 p.m.
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