He’s been praised by his coach already this season and on Friday night, Charlie Schenkel earned a little bit more.
The young goaltender was perfect as the Soo Greyhounds blanked the London Knights 1-0 in the opening game of a three-game Ontario Hockey League road trip at Budweiser Gardens.
Schenkel finished the night with 35 saves, including 15 in the opening period en route to his first Ontario Hockey League shutout.
“I feel amazing,” Schenkel said.
“I worked on my mental game a lot and I feel like I’m the most confident I’ve ever been,” Schenkel also said.
“He was unbelievable,” Greyhounds coach John Dean said.
“That’s an outstanding performance by Charlie," Dean added.
Schenkel has started all four games to start the regular season for the Greyhounds and the 18-year-old said a calmness in his game is the key to his game early on.
“It’s just me and the puck out there and I’m just stopping it,” Schenkel said.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to generate way more offence over the course of the game,” Dean said.
Dean also said early on in the game, the Greyhounds “defended very hard and had some great (zone) exits, but when we got on their half of the red line, we started bobbling pucks and looked a little less poised.”
Dean added that the team showed an improvement and confidence on the bench as the game moved on.
“You could just see the belief on the bench and sometimes a good goalie does that for you,” Dean said. “He makes you start believing in yourself and that’s what Charlie did for us today and we got better as the game went on.”
In addition to an improved performance in the third, the Greyhounds killed off a lengthy 5-on-3 London power play midway through the period and held the Knights at bay in the final minutes of regulation with London’s goalie on the bench for an extra attacker.
“All that is Brendan Taylor and the buy-in he’s got from the guys,” Dean said. “It’s been really impressive. Guys are excited to play it and we’re seeing a group that’s kind of relishing these situations.”
“We’re this group that almost feels comfortable going and blocking shots and being in these tough spots,” Dean added.
Overage forward Mark Duarte added that it was that willingness to put themselves in tough spots that helped the team to the win.
“We have a special group and we stuck together through the whole game,” Duarte said. “Guys put their bodies on the line, and we play for each other. Even though we got outshot and some would say outplayed, we stuck to the game plan and that’s what made us win.”
Duarte opened the scoring in the game late in the opening period.
Duarte took a pass on the right wing as he hit the London blueline from Tyler Savard on the left wing. Duarte moved into the London zone, skated into the right faceoff circle and beat London goaltender Brett Brochu stick side to make it 1-0 Greyhounds with 3:38 to go in the period.
“It felt really good because all of my family got to come down,” Duarte said of the goal. “Since I left Hamilton, this is the first game they got to see. Being able to do it in front of them was pretty cool.”
The overage forward has two goals and three points through four games after the Greyhounds picked him up off waivers prior to the season opener and his play had earned the praise of his coach.
“He just looks very calm in stressful situations, which our team needs,” Dean said. “He’s a calming influence and while maintaining a super-high compete level. It’s a tough thing to do.”
The Greyhounds road trip continues on Sunday afternoon in Sarnia with a game against the Sting before it wraps up on Monday afternoon in Windsor against the Spitfires.
With Friday’s win, the Greyhounds will take a 2-2-0-0 record into Sunday’s contest in Sarnia.
London falls to 0-2-0-0 with the loss.