Van Loon sparks IceDogs to third straight win
Liam Van Loon’s first career Ontario Hockey League hat trick punctuated one of the Niagara IceDogs’ grittiest wins of the season Thursday night at the Meridian Centre.
Missing seven players due to injury, illness and suspension, the undermanned IceDogs topped the Erie Otters 7-4 for their third straight victory.
“It felt really good,” Van Loon said. “Talking to the coaches before the game, they had a lot of trust in me and they just wanted me to make sure I stepped it up tonight.
“I just tried to prepare as I always do and do my thing.”
Van Loon completed the hat trick into an empty net thanks to an unselfish pass from Daniel Michaud who could just as easily attempted to score himself.
“It just speaks about the high character in the room there,” Van Loon said of the pass. “Our team is so close and knowing I was so close to having it, and laying out to give me that puck, it’s an amazing feeling.”
IceDogs coach Billy Burke tipped his cap to the veteran winger.
“That was the message before the game, it was an opportunity for one guy, or multiple guys, to step up and be a hero and he certainly was that tonight,” Burke said. “Great job on the penalty kill, great job five-on-five and I’m real happy for him.”
Despite the depleted lineup, Burke had a good feeling before the game.
“There was good energy in the room,” he said. “Obviously we knew we would have to play as a team to have success tonight and that’s exactly what the guys did.
“Unbelievable character up and down the lineup.”
The win improves Niagara’s record to 19-35-3-1. They trail Peterborough by 11 points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 10 games remaining in their regular season schedule.
“Certainly it’s been a tough year, there’s no doubt about, that but the guys are playing well now and there’s a good feeling and good belief,” Burke said. “The last game (win over Peterborough Tuesday) and tonight we never wilted. We were able to stand strong and earn some goals and get some goals up and down the lineup against an Erie team that has given us trouble this year.”
Van Loon agreed.
“There’s always belief in that room. There has never not be belief in there,” he said. “Everyone has a huge smile coming into the rink and that’s a big part of it.
“Hopefully, we can keep it going for a late playoff push.”
Niagara led 3-1 after one and 4-2 after two. Erie scored early in the third to narrow the gap to 4-3 but the IceDogs responded with a pair of quick goals by Van Loon and Declan Waddick 35 seconds apart to give them a three-goal cushion. Former Thorold Blackhawk Brett Bressette, who has 17 goals and 42 points in 56 games for the Otters, got one back at 18:24 setting the stage for Van Loon’s empty-net marker at 19:36.
Ice cubes: Cameron Peters, Anthony Agostinelli, Brenden Sirizzotti, Danil Gushchin, Sami Douglas-Najem, Alec Leonard (ill) and Rodwin Dionicio (suspension) were scratched for the IceDogs . . . Aidan Campbell, Ryan Thompson, Taco Artichuk, Dylan Edwards and George Alboim did not dress for the Otters . . . Niagara defenceman Landon Cato surpassed 100 OHL career games this week.
STATS PACK
Niagara’s Liam Van Loon and Erie’s Noah Sedore.
Niagara IceDogs: Liam Van Loon 3 (17, 18, 19); Pano Fimis (19); Brice Cooke (16); Declan Waddick (7); Isaac Enright (4).
Erie Otters: Noah Sedore 2 (15, 16); Brett Bressette (17); Christian Kyrou (16).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Niagara on Nolan Lalonde/Marshall Nicholls (27), by Erie on Josh Rosenzweig (46); Power plays: Niagara 0/2 Erie 1/5; Penalty minutes: Niagara 16, Erie 10.
Attendance: 3,486.
Up next: North Bay at Niagara Saturday.
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