OWEN SOUND, Ont. – They called it a must-win situation and they got exactly what they needed.
A pair of third period goals sealed a 5-2 victory for the Soo Greyhounds over the Owen Sound Attack Wednesday night in game four of their best-of-7 Western Conference semifinal series at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
After Joe Carroll won a key faceoff deep in the Owen Sound zone, the puck found its way to Keegan Howdeshell in the right faceoff circle.
The 20-year-old winger beat Owen Sound goaltender Olivier Lafreniere high short side to give the Greyhounds a 4-2 lead with just under eight minutes to go.
The goal also came just under three minutes after Ethan Szypula pulled the Attack to within a goal midway through the period.
“Obviously we knew we had to win in their rink,” Greyhounds Coach Drew Bannister said.
“We were hungrier all over the ice to go to the net and score.” Bannister also said. “We matched their compete level and worked hard away from the puck.”
The Greyhounds coach spoke of how the Greyhounds played a “heavier” game on Wednesday.
“We did make some mistakes but we played a harder, heavier game,” Bannister said. “But there’s still room for improvement.”
Howdeshell finished the night with a pair of goals for the Greyhounds.
Taylor Raddysh added a goal and an assist for the Greyhounds while Boris Katchouk and Conor Timmins also scored. Mac Hollowell and Tim Gettinger had a pair of assists each for the Greyhounds.
Goaltender Matthew Villalta made 37 saves.
Bannister said he was pleased with what he called a “bounce-back” effort from the sophomore netminder.
Hayden Verbeek left the game with what Bannister called a “lower-body injury” and details on the extent of the injury were not known.
Verbeek didn’t see action in the third period of the game.
The Attack played the game without the services of a pair of veterans. Forward Jonah Gadjovich and defenceman Trenton Bourque. Both missed the game due to injury. Bourque took the warmup but was pulled from the lineup.
Gadjovich left game three in the second period with an injury and did not return. Attack coach Todd Gill had limited details on the injury at the time..
Bourque was also injured in game three. The Attack would only say that the veteran blueliner was “hurt.”
Kevin Hancock had the other goal for the Attack.
Lafreniere made 35 saves.
Puck drop for game five on Friday night at the Essar Centre is set for 7:07 p.m. Game six is Sunday in Owen Sound. If necessary, game seven is Tuesday night at the Essar Centre.
In other action around the OHL on Wednesday night, Nicholas Caamanp assisted on three goals as the Hamilton Bulldogs beat the Niagara IceDogs 4-2. Marian Studenic scores a pair of goals.