IceDogs drop third straight
The Niagara IceDogs dropped a 7-3 decision at home to the Erie Otters Thursday. Photo by: ALEX LUPUL PHOTOGRAPHY
The Tank was in search-and-destroy mode Thursday night.
Mason (The Tank) Howard turned in one of his best performances of the season, but it wasn’t enough as the Niagara IceDogs dropped a 7-3 decision to the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action at home.
The IceDogs have dropped three straight and fall below the .500 mark at 3-4-2-1.
The Otters, who have also had an up and down start to their season, improved to 6-4.
Howard was at his best early as he picked up an assist in the first period and also laid out a handful of bone-crunching checks.
“I just try and look for an opportunity to throw the body around and get the boys going,” said Howard, an 18-year-old native of London.
Howard admitted it’s a tough task to dish out the big hit shift in and shift out.
“Guys are starting to know who I am in the league and they’re starting to lessen the opportunity for me, but when it’s there, I take it,” he said. “You just have to sit back and wait for it. If I’m running around, it’s not my game and I’ll be out of place.”
Howard, who began his junior career with Thorold Blackhawks before moving to the IceDogs full time last season, has worked his way into a top-four role on the blue-line.
“I’m getting a lot of ice time now which is good for me,” he said. “It helps me develop. I learned a lot from guys last year —the Johnny Schaefers and the Matt Brassards — they taught me a lot of stuff so this year me stepping into their role really impacts the rest of the team.”
Howard admits it’s a different feeling knowing he will be counted on for big minutes.
“It feels good coming to the rink knowing I’m going to be in the lineup and being able to continue to the help the team and help the boys get wins.”
IceDogs coach Billy Burke loves Howard’s work ethic.
“He’s huge, he’s a fearless shot blocker and he’s a warrior,” Burke said. “He plays hard and really takes care of himself off the ice.
“He’s having a real strong season. I wish a couple of other guys would follow his lead with the heart that he shows on a nightly basis.”
Each team scored in the first. Kyen Sopa fired home his team-leading eighth for the IceDogs while Chad Yetman potted a power-play goal for Erie later in the period.
The Otters grabbed a 3-1 lead with goals just 1:13 apart by Jamie Drysdale and Brendan Hoffman. The latter was set up by a nice pass from former IceDog and St. Catharines native Danial Singer. Lucas Theriault then netted his second of the season late in the period to draw Niagara to within one after two. St. Catharines native AJ Cook earned an assist on the play and also had a couple of other good chances to score.
The IceDogs built on the momentum of that goal and scored early in the third when Jonah DiSimone notched his second of the season on a deflection.
The Otters then responded with a goal about four minutes later to retake the lead for good before adding three late goals.
“It was a hell of a push to come back and then it falls apart at the end,” Burke said. “We need to regroup and finish strong. We’re not good enough to force it and do it that way because it turns into odd-mans against.
“It’s a lot of little things that add up. I thought if we could do a little better job of handing the puck through the neutral zone and simplify and try and get more traffic and shots to the net, then we’d have a chance to come back.”
Ice cubes: Anthony Agostinelli, Ivan Lodnia, Cameron Snow and Andrew Bruder (upper body) did not dress for the IceDogs . . . Brendan Kishnick, Elias Cohen and Marcus Gillard were scratched for the Otters . . . The Otters also feature locals Kurtis Henry (Niagara Falls) and assistant coach Wes Wolfe (Niagara Falls) . . . Jonah DiSimone was honoured as the IceDogs academic player of the month. DiSimone has an 84 per cent average in his Grade 12 courses at Governor Simcoe.
Otters 7 IceDogs 3
BPSN Star of the Game: Erie defenceman Jamie Drysdale with a pair of goals.
Niagara IceDogs: Kyen Sopa (8); Lucas Theriault (2); Jonah DiSimone (2).
Erie Otters: Drysdale 2 (3 ,4); Chad Yetman (9); Emmett Sproule (3); Daniel Singer (2); Brendan Hoffman (1); Matthew MacDougall (1).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Daniel Murphy (33), by Erie on Tucker Tynan (42); Power plays: Niagara 0-for-3, Erie 1-for-2; Penalty minutes: Niagara 8, Erie 10.
Attendance: 4,590
Up next: At Mississauga Friday and home to Guelph Saturday.
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