Zac Leslie buries overtime winner to start the season off with a win for Guelph
On a warm and muggy September evening, the Guelph Storm battled right through to overtime, needing a mere thirteen extra seconds to defeat the visiting Erie Otters and start their 2013-14 season with a win. Elated fans were greeted at the exit gates by torrential rain and lightning, perhaps Mother Nature’s own celebration of a hard fought victory over a strong Erie side.
Playing for a near capacity crowd, the first ten minutes saw each skater attack the play with the hunger that only a summer away from the game can bring. Bodies leapt and lunged, collided and careened around the ice with a reckless abandon. Each side scored two goals and a slew of penalties in the first period, with flashes of brilliance from Guelph’s left-winger Brock McGinn and defenseman Zac Leslie.
Erie’s Stephen Harper opened the scoring four and half minutes into the game with an aggressive fore-check that forced a loose puck, which he quickly sent under the pads and into the back of the net of Storm starting goalie Justin Nichols. After a quick fight (Guelph’s Justin Augur connected on a few, but lost to Dane Fox), Guelph stormed back with a Robby Fabri in tight rebound in the top corner, blocker side. Reclaiming the lead, Erie’s Michael Curtis delivered an untidy rebound to the back of the net off a power-play performance typifying the game’s divide in special teams play. Though Erie controlled most of the first period, Guelph hung on through sheer will and reeled the Otters in with a 4-on-4 and a shot that eluded Erie goaltender Oscar Dansk in the dying seconds of the first.
It was energetic first period that pitted Guelph`s free flowing, if slightly sloppy, counter-attack offense against a polished Erie attack. More than a few Guelph defensive zone turnovers left fans gasping in exasperation, but the intermission seemed to help settle nerves. This was the Storm debut for second-year starting goaltender Justin Nichols who was recently acquired from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for a third round draft pick, as well as for rookies Adam Craievich (RW), Garrett McFadden (D) and Swiss International Pius Suter (C).
After a decent first period, Nichols finished the game admirably, keeping Guelph in the game with more than a few key saves. Nichols almost held Erie scoreless for the rest of the game, but the Otters snuck in yet another go-ahead goal with minutes left in the second period. As penalties continued to pile on throughout the game, Guelph’s power play finally clicked on a beautiful Tyler Bertuzzi one-time slap shot that found mesh halfway through the third. It was the spark Guelph needed to kick their game into a final gear, pressing hard to the end of the third. Riding a wave of momentum, Zac Leslie’s overtime goal sealed the deal on a hard fought Storm win.