It was a homecoming of champions, but the Barrie Colts decided to rain on the banner ceremony for the North Bay Battalion, downing the Troops 3-1.
The loss moves the Battalion to a 0-1-1 record on the young season.
“Both teams last night, it was a little different than last night’s game,” explained head coach Ryan Oulahen post game.
“I thought last night was faster, each team had their legs. Tonight, especially that first period, I didn’t think either team came out strong at all.
“We just seemed to be one step behind for most of the game. We had our chances, moments we could have taken over the hockey game, but give Barrie credit, they came in here and worked and I thought they earned the two points.”
After a longer than usual delay, thanks to dirt left on the ice from the blow-up tank, the Colts struck first as Beau Akey fed a backhand pass to a wide-open Zach Wigle who beat DiVincentiis upstairs at 1:49 on the first shot of the game for Barrie. Despite outshooting the Colts 14-6, the Battalion found themselves still trailing 1-0 at the first intermission.
Needing just 40 seconds in the second, Lirim Amidovski (1) grabbed the puck in Barrie’s blue paint off of a rebound, backhanding the rubber past Colts netminder Sam Hillbrandt to tie the game at 1-1. However, after killing off a penalty, the Colts rebounded as Riley Patterson (1) split North Bay’s defence and slid the puck past DiVincentiis, 2-1 Barrie less than four minutes into the middle frame, a lead they carried to the second intermission.
“I thought he was good tonight,” said Oulahen on Amidovski. “I think he’s just trying to find his way a bit and now it’s going to come for him.
“He’s a guy that knows how to score, so it’s nice to see that from him. We need secondary scoring, we need help, so that is huge for him and hopefully, it can jumpstart him.”
In the third, North Bay pulled DiVincentiis for an extra attacker to try and knot up the game, yet Beau Akey (1) was able to find the empty net to push the score to 3-1 late, and giving the Colts the back to back win to start the season.
The Troops are back in action Sunday when they reignite the Highway 17 rivalry against the Sudbury Wolves. Puck drop from the Nickel City is at 2 p.m.
“We will need to use tomorrow as a good recovery day,” Oulahen said on the game against the Wolves.
“Go there on Sunday and have a little bit more energy. We’re a team that will have to work, we will have to skate every night and to do that we have to be fresh, and for us to be successful that’s the type of team we have to be this year and that’s what we will be looking for on Sunday.”
