They were former number one overall pick in the OHL Priority selection is now number one in the North Bay Battalion record books. Ty Nelson’s first period goal at 11:21 against the Saginaw Spirit was his 20th of the season and that sets the record for goals in a season by a Battalion defenceman since the team has moved North. He surpasses Brendan Miller’s 19 scored during the 2014-15 season. Bobby Sanguinetti still has the franchise all-time record with 29 scored in his lone season with the Brampton Battalion in 2007-20008. It’s one of the many milestones Nelson reached during his time in North Bay and this goal helped lead the Battalion back into the win column as they shut out the Saginaw Spirit 4-0 on Friday night.
In the first of three games in two and a half day for the Troops, they came out just about as well as could be expected to get the weekend started on the right side.
Kyle McDonald (25) opened the scoring at 10:58 of the first period when Saginaw gifted him a turnover in their own zone. The 6’4” over ager proved to be an intimidating presence as he skated in all alone towards Saginaw goaltender Tristan Lennox as McDonald snaped the shot past him for a 1-0 North Bay lead.
Nelson made it 2-0 with his record-breaking goal less than a minute later at 11:21. It wasn’t one of his trademark slapshots from the point that have become a familiar site when the puck is on the stick of number 24, but a well timed 2-on-1 give and go alongside Josh Bloom that Nelson was able to settle into the net.
The Battalion and goaltender Dom DiVincentiis held onto that 2-0 lead throughout the second period with no team getting on the scoreboard and DiVincentiis stayed perfect through 40 minutes, turning aside 25 shots.
In the third, the Battalion tacked on a couple more goals once the Spirit pulled their netminder to get the extra attacker on the ice. The first came off the stick of Anthony Romani (17) at 16:13 for his 30th point of the season. Romani has more than doubled his point production from a year ago when he had eight goals and 14 points. The 18-year-old Pickering, Ontario native is on a nice run over the last few weeks, picking up points in seven of his last eight games, including five goals.
North Bay added a second empty net goal at 17:06 as Dalyn Wakely netted his 27th of the season to round out the scoring.
DiVincentiis made another eight saves in the third and 33 overall to earn his second career OHL shutout and improve to 30-8-2 on the year. Those 30 wins tie a Battalion franchise record for wins by a goaltender in a single season, matching Jake Smith’s 2015-16 season in which he went 30-15-6-1.
The Battalion overall improve to 37-15-2-1 and will return to the ice tomorrow evening as their tour into the United States continues when they take on the 7th ranked team in the Western Conference, Flint Firebirds. The Troops will be looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from January 22nd – January 28th.
