Barons take Wildcats in First League Game

Puck dropped at 7:30pm, and the Wildcats season was officially underway for the first time in history. In net for the Wildcats was AJ Smith and starting between the pipes at the other end for the Barons was Kevin Labelle.   The game was quick-paced and started off with a bang. On the first shot of the game for the Barons, only two minutes in, and on a Baron’s power play, sixteen-year-old Ryan Mooney beat Smith off a screened point shot assisted by Bonin and Butterfly. Just a minute later, Smith was left hung out to dry on a Barons 2-on-1 resulting in a Jacob Bonin tap in goal and second point of the night from Jarecki and Butterfly. With 3:50 left in the first period, the Wildcats would cash in on a power play of their own. It would be David Chiarelli scoring with a clean shot from the point, helpers from Cole Helper and Alec Mackenzie. Chiarelli’s goal was the first in Wildcats’ history and the goal to bring the Wildcats within one. Before the end of the first frame, there was yet another power play goal but coming from the Barons and Butterfly this time putting up his third point of the period assisted by Kyle Fransen. After the first it was a 3-1 game moving forward.   The second frame was north to south hockey at its best. Back and forth as the opportunities went both way but drawing first blood in the second was Elliot Lake. Only twenty-one seconds in Wildcats forward Chris Ordoobadi drove hard to the net and beat Labelle short side to make it a 3-2 hockey game. Near the half way mark in the second, the Barons would retake the two goal lead with Rossi and Whitehead feeding Gadjovich in the slot to beat an out of position Smith and hit the empty net. Action in the second continued with back-to-back short handed goals from Wildcats Helper (MacLean, Mackenzie) and Shane Woosley (Campbell, MacLean) to tie the game at 4-4. In the dying seconds of the middle frame on a Wildcats power play, Butterfly gained control of the puck and tucked it past Smith to give the Barons a 5-4 lead going into the final twenty minutes.   Heading into the third the shots were twenty-eight all and both these teams were eager to make that final push. The Wildcats, however, took three penalties in the final period, and put a stop to any momentum as the Barons were able to hold off the Wildcats and add an insurance marker from Callaghan assisted by Mooney and Rossi. Danny Lepage would add the empty netter to end the game with a final of 7-4 for the Nickel Barons.    Butterfly finished the game with four point, displays his two-way talent to the league, and final shots recorded were 44-38 in favour of the Barons. Sudbury will start a road trip out to the East tomorrow squaring off against the Eskimos on September 11th. The Wildcats will host the Mattawa Blackhawks in their home opener Friday September 12th, both team looking for their first club win. 
For more articles by Braedyn Halloch, please visit www.juniorpuckking.com