Kyrou Scores in OT, Downey Stops 26 as Otters Pick Up Back-To-Back Wins
October 20, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Erie Otters News Release
St. Catharine’s, Ontario – The Meridian Centre was the first and last rink in Ontario that the Erie Otters invaded in the 2021-22 season. With plenty of games on the other side of the border already under their belt, Erie returned to St. Catharine’s to battle the Niagara IceDogs for the first time in the new season. After a 4-2 record against Niagara in the previous year, the Otters would hope to have history repeat itself. With newly acquired goaltender Kyle Downey getting his first appearance – and start – in Navy and Gold, he’d look to prove himself in the Otters goaltending department.
The debut for Kyle Downey would come with plenty of opportunities to showcase his abilities, as the IceDogs would fire 11 shots on the second-year goaltender. With 11 shots faced, it would be 11 saves made. On the opposing end, Niagara’s Josh Rosenzweig would face eight shots, with the final one – from Elias Cohen (4) – giving the Overage Forward his third goal in two games, and the lone goal of the first period. Erie would finish the frame on the kill, but take a 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Erie would come out in the second period looking to right the ship in the shots department, and would get its offense pressuring early. Near the halfway mark of the period, Erie would lose its Captain Cameron Morton, as the Overage Defenseman was given a match-major for a slewfoot. Erie would successfully kill of the five-minute major, and look to get back to work. It would be minutes after the elongated power play that Niagara would strike for the first time, as former Sarnia Sting Forward Nolan Dann (3) would backhand a shot in point blank range to make it 1-1 with 14:29 passed. Just over two minutes later, Liam Gilmartin (2) would get a perfect, breakaway feed from Colby Saganiuk to give the Otters the lead back. Erie would take the 2-1 lead attained by the former London Knight into the second intermission, outshooting the IceDogs 20-19.
Third period action would start all in-favor of the Niagara IceDogs, as the home team would strike for a pair of goals within the first four minutes of the frame – coming from Aidan Castle (3, 1:48) and Pasquale Zito (3, 3:27). Seven minutes exactly into the third, Brett Bressette (3) would put Erie back in a tie-game as he’d fire one through from point-blank range. After penalty kills and flurries of rushes from either side, the Otters would earn a point as the game would have to be decided in extra time.
For the second game in a row, Erie would play in overtime after a 3-3 finish to regulation. Unlike Saturday’s game against the Saginaw Spirit, this overtime would not be so clear-cut – with both team’s having opportunities to close the game out. It would be Erie from their defensive end that would win a draw, force a feed up to Christian Kyrou (2), and take the overtime win for the second game in a row, 4-3. This gives Erie its first win of the season against an Eastern Conference foe, and first back-to-back wins.
The Otters trek back over the border tonight, returning home to Erie for a weekend pair against the Owen Sound Attack on Friday (Happy Hour/College ID Night) and Saturday (Pucks & Paws Night pres. by PNC) nights. Erie split the season series 2-2 with Owen Sound in 2021-22, sweeping on home ice.
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