The Owen Sound Attack closed out the 2023 calendar year on a losing note.
Riley Patterson had a goal and an assist to help pace the Barrie Colts to a 5-2 win over the Attack in Ontario Hockey League action Sunday night at the Sadlon Arena.
Tai York, Cole Beaudoin, Beau Jelsma and Olivier Savard also scored for Barrie.
Colby Barlow and Cedrick Guindon had the goals for the Attack, which lost their second straight game.
Barrie held 1-0 and 3-1 leads after the first and second periods respectively.
A shorthanded penalty shot for Beaudoin helped the Colts to the win. Minutes after the Attack had scored their first goal of the game, they were back on the power play late in the second period.
Beaudoin had one shorthanded breakaway denied by Carter George. Then he was sprung on another shorthanded breakaway, and Barlow dived and took a whack towards Beaudoin. He didn’t go down, and still got a shot off. But was awarded a penalty shot.
He made no mistake on his third try against George, backhanding it fivehole to make it 3-1 Barrie.
Jelsma scored on a 5-on-3 power play at 12:00 of the third to make it 4-1.
Guindon gave the Attack some life with 5:16 remaining, whacking a saucer pass out of mid air past Ben West on the power play to cut the Barrie lead to 4-2.
But Savard would ice it with an empty-netter.
West made 39 saves in the win, while George stopped 26 taking the loss. The Attack outshot the Colts 41-31 while going 2 for 4 on the power play; Barrie finished 1 for 5.
Owen Sound will start the new year on the road. Thursday, they visit the Erie Otters. Friday, the are in St Catharines to face the Niagara Ice Dogs. And then next Saturday, Jan. 6, they return home to close out a three-in-three.
