Owen Sound goaltenders
Alyssa Barnard and Ryan Cooke turned aside every shot they faced to backstop
the Jr. Attack Canadian Tire Tykes to a 3-0 home win on Friday in the opener of
a home-and-home set with the Creemore Novice Rep Valley Hawks.
Hunter Stewart, William McMillan and Maddox Burgess provided the goal scoring in the victory for the Tykes, who improve to 3-5 in Georgian Bay Minor Hockey League action.
Defenceman Nolan Edmonstone, who was named the Jr. Attack’s Hardest Working Player of the Game, collected two assists.
“Every player worked hard from the first shift to the last,” said Jr. Attack head coach Rick Corbett. “Our positional play continues to get much better. We were able to make some good passes, which turned into scoring chances. Hopefully, that will be the start of good things going forward.”
The goaltending tandem of Barnard and Cooke has now impressively surrendered only a combined three goals over its last three games.
“Our goalies, Alyssa and Ryan, played fantastic tonight,” said Corbett. “They gave us the opportunity to get the win. And the kids played a great defensive game and cleared the rebounds very well.”
Stewart, parked alone at the left side of the Creemore net, opened the scoring with 55 seconds remaining in the first period when he accepted a fine heads-up pass from the point from Edmonstone and then made no mistake by releasing a quick, accurate shot.
McMillan, who earned the Hardest Working Player of the Game in last Saturday’s 2-0 road loss to the Honeywood Hurricanes, extended Owen Sound’s lead to two only 49 seconds into the third period when his snapshot from the high slot eluded the Creemore goaltender low blocker.
Burgess then rounded out the scoring at the 9:21 mark when he accepted a cross-ice pass from his defence partner Edmonstone, rushed down the right side of the ice and, after his initial shot was stopped, buried his own rebound.
Creemore went 0 for 2 with the man advantage, while Owen Sound was held scoreless on its lone opportunity.
The Creemore contest marked the first time all season the Tykes were able to ice a full line-up, as defenceman Ethen Williams made his long-awaited season debut after being sidelined for the first seven games of the campaign with a collarbone injury.
The Jr. Attack and Valley Hawks clash again on Sunday in Creemore. Game time is 3 p.m.