The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) featured exciting matchups on December 13th, 2024, as teams battled for standings supremacy and fans witnessed thrilling performances. The most notable matchup was the Owen Sound Attack facing off against the Sarnia Sting, where the Attack struggled to find their footing, succumbing to the Sting with a final score of 5-2.
Starting the night strong, the Sting quickly established their dominance. They opened the scoring shortly after the penalty to Owen Sound's Declan Waddick expired. Ryan Brown took the shot from the point, which was deftly tipped by Liam Beamish, giving Sarnia a 1-0 lead. The Attack were firing on all cylinders initially, creating several opportunities, particularly through the efforts of Sam McCue. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the back of the net, leading to unfortunate turnovers for the Attack. Just moments later, the Sting doubled their lead when Tyson Doucette scored, making the score 2-0 less than a minute after Beamish's goal.
The Attack didn't let their slow start discourage them. Early in the second period, Jake Crawford’s hustle resulted in Landen Hookey finding the rebound, allowing him to score his 13th goal of the season and cut the Sting's lead to 2-1. Yet, the Sting restored their lead when Ruslan Karimov navigated through the Attack's defense, scoring to make it 3-1.
Owen Sound responded again with Pierce Mbuyi banging home another rebound, pulling within one goal at 3-2. Just as the Attack appeared to gather momentum, Sarnia struck back with three seconds left in the period, restoring their two-goal cushion as Lukas Fischer found the net to end the period 4-2.
Despite persistent pressure, the Attack could not close the gap as the Sting sealed the game with another goal in the third period. This loss places the Owen Sound Attack still vying for the last playoff position, now firmly engaged with the competition for eighth place within the Western Conference. They will aim for redemption as they face off against the Flint Firebirds next.
Meanwhile, across the league, the Saginaw Spirit put on an impressive display against the Guelph Storm, winning 7-6. Michael Misa was the standout star of the evening, contributing two goals and two assists. The Spirit took command of the game early, with Misa opening the scoring just 1:45 minutes after puck drop, solidifying his place as one of the season’s key players.
Guelph came back quickly, equalizing and then eventually taking the lead with Jimmy Sutherland's goal. Not to be outdone, Saginaw immediately tied it back, with Kristian Epperson scoring two goals, one of which was unassisted during a shorthanded situation, demonstrating his skills as he maneuvered through the Storm defense.
With each team trading goals back and forth, the Spirit maintained their edge. Contrary to the Attack's experience, Guelph’s efforts saw them claw back to only lose by one goal. The scoring frenzy continued through the final period; Guelph managed to score on numerous occasions yet fell just short as Saginaw's netminder, Andrew Oke, who had 24 saves, held strong.
Looking to the future, the Owen Sound Attack’s performance will need refinement, especially considering upcoming games are key for positioning heading toward the holiday break. They will close this two-game road trip against Flint on Saturday night, with both teams eager to turn their fortune around.
Happy holidays await as this exciting league heads toward playoff positioning, with numerous games still left to play. Fans can follow all OHL action via streaming options available for all remaining games, including the chance to catch the Attack’s next home stand against the Barrie Colts. Tickets for future games can be found at the usual channels, ensuring fans have the chance to see thrilling junior hockey action live.
