Battle of Highway 6
The Highway 6 rivalry will be reigniting in the playoffs for the 1st time since 2004 when the Owen Sound Attack and Guelph Storm meet in the 2015 Western Conference Quarterfinals.
The Attack, who finished in 5th place in the Midwest with 79 points, will begin the Ontario Hockey League Playoffs with a trip to Guelph for games one and two on Friday, Mar. 27 and Sunday, Mar. 29. Puck drops for the games are set for 7:30 and 6:30 pm respectively.
Owen Sound enters the post season on a hot streak, having won their last four games including a head to head match up with the Storm, a 4-3 win on Friday, Mar. 20. Both the Attack and Storm won their season finales which came against the Sarnia Sting with Owen Sound winning 4-3 and Guelph earning a 6-2 win.
In eight games against the Storm this year the Attack went 2-3-0-2 for eight of a possible 16 points. Despite Guelph having earned more of the points up for grabs, five of the eight games were decided by just one goal with three games needing a shootout to determine a winner.
The Attack will begin the playoffs with four players having scored more than 70 points for the first time since the 2004-2005 season.
Kyle Platzer led Owen Sound in regular season scoring with 81 points in 68 games while Zach Nastasiuk totalled 77 points, Erik Bradford contributed 73 points, and Chris Bigras amassed 71 points. Bigras finished 2nd in OHL defensive scoring despite missing six games on the year, including the team’s last four games.
Guelph, the defending Ontario Hockey League champions, enters the post season paced by Tyler Bertuzzi’s 98 points. Also helping lead the way offensively for the Storm this year were Pius Suter and Jason Dickinson.
The Storm’s top scoring defenceman, Zac Leslie, had 48 points on the year but underwent season ending shoulder surgery in early March and will not be available for Guelph.
Games one and two of the series will be broadcast live on 560 CFOS Bear Radio.
The Attack will return home to the Bayshore for Game 3 and 4 on Tuesday, Mar. 31 and Wednesday, Apr, 1.
Playoff Tickets for Games 3 and 4 are on sale now at the DJs Furniture Attack Box Office, online at www.attackhockey.com or by calling (519) 371-7452. Season Ticket Holders are reminded that they have until 1:00pm the day PRIOR to the scheduled home playoff game to claim their seats. If the seats go unclaimed beyond 1:00pm, they will be released to the general public.
SEASON SERIES RECAP
Oct. 4, 2014: Guelph 3 @ Owen Sound 2
The first meeting of the year between the Midwest Division rivals saw the Guelph Storm erase a 2-1 Owen Sound Attack lead with just 15 minutes to play in the game to win the season series opener. A pair of Daniel Milne goals broken up by a tally from Pius Suter sent the Attack to the 1st intermission with that 2-1 lead. A scoreless 2nd period would force the Storm to mount a 3rd period comeback and they did just that, scoring twice on goals from Jason Dickinson and Garrett McFadden to come from behind for a 3-2 win.
Oct. 25, 2014: Guelph 2 @ Owen Sound 3
The Owen Sound Attack were determined to avoid being defeated by the Storm for the 2nd time in a month and came out determined in the 1st period. So did the Storm though, and neither team were able to find the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes. Tyler Bertuzzi would score for Guelph with time winding down in the 2nd period, but Kyle Platzer answered right back for the Attack sending the teams to the 3rd period with a goal apiece. Owen Sound seemed to grab the edge when Petrus Palmu put them up 2-1 early in the 3rd, put a Guelph powerplay goal at the 11:56 mark of the frame forced overtime, and eventually a shootout. Palmu, Platzer, and Ethan Szypula all scored for the Attack in the shootout while only Storm forward Tyler Bertuzzi could solve Michael McNiven, giving the Attack the win.
Dec. 12, 2014: Owen Sound 3 @ Guelph 4
A seesaw battle of a game saw neither team pull too far ahead without the other clawing back in. Guelph got on the board first just five minutes into the game on a goal by Tyler Bertuzzi, but a Zach Nastasiuk and Jacob Busch would answer for the Attack giving Owen Sound a 2-1 lead. The Storm managed to tie the game with just 18 seconds left in the 1st period, and a scoreless middle stanza set up an intense 3rd. Guelph would go up 3-2 with under four minutes to play thanks to a goal from Matt Hotchkiss, but the Attack would not be denied. With just 61 seconds on the clock, Kyle Platzer forced overtime for the 2nd straight game between the squads. The extra frame solved nothing, and after Ethan Szypula and Petrus Palmu were unable to score in the shootout, the Storm walked away victorious.
Jan. 2, 2015: Owen Sound 2 @ Guelph 3
A furious comeback by the Attack in the latter stages of the 3rd period fell short in a shootout that saw Attack netminder Jack Flinn and Storm goalie Justin Nichols combine to make 11 saves on 12 attempts. The teams battled to a scoreless first period before Guelph took a 2-0 lead into the final 20 minutes thanks to goals from Zac Leslie and Adam Craievich. The Attack pushed back in the third with a goal from Jeffrey Gilligan before Kyle Platzer played hero once again and tied things up at 2-2 with just 1:04 left on the clock. Overtimed solved nothing, and neither did the first 11 shooters in the shootout, allowing Zac Leslie to win the game with the 12th attempt.
Jan. 3, 2015: Guelph 4 @ Owen Sound 1
The 5th meeting of the year between the teams was the first one that was decided more than one goal, and the first time in three match ups that the two didn’t go to a shootout. The Storm opened the scoring early in the contest with a goal from Chris Marchese before Jonah Gadjovich tied the game up just a few minutes later. Guelph then scored once more in the opening frame before adding goals in each of the 2nd and 3rd period to round out the scoring.
Feb. 21, 2015: Guelph 1 @ Owen Sound 4
Four straight goals, including three first period tallies, powered the Attack to their biggest win of the year over the Storm. Daniel Milne kicked off the scoring just 14 seconds into the game before Holden Cook made it 2-0 at the 13:03 mark of the opening frame. Ethan Szypula scored less than two minutes later to give Owen Sound a 3-0 lead going into the 2nd period, a frame that saw Thomas Schemitsch give the Attack a 4-0 lead and a comfortable advantage before Chris Marchese tallied Guelph’s lone goal of the game.
Mar 6, 2015: Owen Sound 1 @ Guelph 3
A scoreless first period lacked the playoff-like intensity that had existed between the two teams for most of the year. That was remedied in the 2nd period however, when Thomas Schemitsch scored to put the Attack up 1-0 on their only goal of the game at the 4:22 mark of the period. The Storm would score the final three goals of the game thanks to a pair of tallies from Pius Suter and an empty net goal by Jason Dickinson.
Mar. 20, 2015: Owen Sound 4 @ Guelph 3
The season finale between the teams was the most exciting, with both sides missing key defensemen. Daniel Milne opened the scoring for the Attack just 17 seconds into the game, marking the first goal of three by each of the overagers. Guelph would answer back thanks to a marker by Pius Suter to tie the game at one apiece before Erik Bradford and Jason Dickinson traded goals. The Storm took a 3-2 lead just over halfway through the 2nd period before Kyle Platzer netted a late period marker to send the teams to the 3rd period tied up at three. Holden Cook then completed the scoring with a top corner snipe late in the game to secure the Attack win.
Top Point Scorers Head To Head
Attack
1) Kyle Platzer, C – 8GP, 4G, 3A
2) Daniel Milne, C – 8GP, 4G, 2A
3) Thomas Schemitsch, D – 8GP, 2G, 4A
Storm
1) Tyler Bertuzzi, LW – 8GP, 4G, 5A
2) Jason Dickinson, C – 7GP, 4G, 4A
3) Pius Suter, LW – 4G, 2A
Goalies Head To Head
Attack
Jack Flinn – 2-2-0-2, 2.32 GAA, .927 SV%
Michael McNiven – 1-1-0-0, 2.40 GAA, .925 SV%
Storm
Justin Nichols – 4-2-0-1, 2.50 GAA, .929 SV%
Bradley Van Schubert – 0-0-0-0, 1.34 GAA, .964 SV%