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Friday, March 29, 2024
Hockey: Jr. A Predators aim to keep winning streak alive

NOTL team's star goaltender recruited to play in U.S. junior league

 

Kevan Dowd

Special to The Lake Report

Niagara Predators general manager Johan Eriksson is hoping for nothing but wins from now until Christmas break and, as the team rides a five-game win streak, it might just happen.

The Predators picked up two more Greater Metro Jr. A. Hockey League wins last weekend, including a 6-3 victory over The St. George Ravens and 6-1 win over the Plattsville Lakers. Niagara, which has only lost four games so far this season, is now 2-2 versus the Ravens and in third place.

“They are our biggest rivals. We’ve lost both games on the road but have beaten them both times at home,” said Eriksson.

While Eriksson chalks up the win to his team providing better support for goaltender Iain Riordon than in previous games and keeping a cool head against rough opponents, the Predators tried a new tactic Friday night.

The team started with their Zitella-Massi-Caperchione line in order to match St. George’s strongest line, a move that Eriksson thinks paid off.

“They scored five of our goals Friday night and played a great game from start to finish,” he said.

Dante Massi opened the scoring halfway through the first period but a pair of goals for St. George gave them a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Mario Zitella tied it one minute into the second period but a third goal for St. George came at 10:29.

Then back-to-back goals by Noah Caperchione allowed Niagara to take the lead, which they never relinquished.

Predators newcomer Georgy Kholmovsky netted his team’s fifth tally with less than five minutes left in the game and Massi put his second of the night past St. George goaltender Christian Lynch to finish things off.

“We stayed really calm and let them make the dumb mistakes,” said Eriksson. “Our attitude is far superior. Against Plattsville, we followed up with a great game and just great, great hockey.”

Massi, Zitella and Caperchione all made the score sheet the following night with Massi once again getting his team’s first tally as well as their fourth with less than 30 seconds left in the second period.

Zitella managed a short-handed goal midway through the second period and Caperchione earned his team’s sixth 12 minutes into the third. Singles from Alexander Insulander and Jesper Eriksson and just one goal for Plattsville by Malcolm Campbell early in the third period made for a 6-1 final.

Early in the season the Predators struggled with a short bench but with four full lines and seven defencemen, Eriksson says his team is fully loaded.

With newer recruits like Caperchione, Kholmovsky, Maxwell Bredin and Pontus Madsen earning goals and assists on the regular he said he “100 per cent” thinks the new additions are a game changer, using Kholmovsky – recently signed from Russia – as an example.

“Kholmovsky is a younger guy but wow is he smart. He knows where the puck is, he’s a good skater. He’s what I’d call a well-schooled player. He doesn’t speak the language but if you draw something up for him he knows what to do. Hockey is his language.”

But just as the bench was starting to fill up, the team has lost one of its best players – starting goaltender Oskar Spinnars Nordin.

He has been recruited to  play in North Dakota for the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League, a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II junior league.

“Because he is just so good I didn’t expect to keep him all season. When you play like he does, opportunities are going to come up to go to a higher league,” said Eriksson.

“I’m happy for him but I’m not going to find another Spinnars Nordin this late in the season. He’s getting a fantastic chance there.”

Spinnars Nordin had been a standout on the team since the season started. In 10 games in net, the 19-year-old Swede managed three shutouts and allowed just 19 goals. But Eriksson thinks his absence last weekend may have been beneficial in a way.

“Actually, I think we played so well because we didn’t have Oskar back there. We know now that we have to help our goalies and not allow them to take all the shots.”

The team now faces three games in three days starting in Virgil this Friday against the Windsor Aces. Back-to-back games against the Northumberland Stars will follow, starting with a road game Saturday before coming back home for a 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon game.

Eriksson is confident his team can keep the winning streak going, saying Windsor is one of the league’s weaker teams, in particular because their overage starting line do not play in road games.

“We just have to continue playing our game our way, keep our heads calm and if we can do that, we’ll win all three games.”

The weekend’s action starts against Windsor at the Meridian Credit Union this Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

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