Firebirds surrender OHL home ice edge to Hounds

The Flint Firebirds are overwhelming underdogs as a seventh seed in the Ontario Hockey League post season against the number two Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but entered game three all even in the series and looking to take control of home ice.

The Greyhounds spoiled a great start to the game for the Firebirds, holding on in the game of the night for Midwest based Junior teams.

OHL

Flint at Soo – Game 4

The Flint Firebirds will be looking to even the series with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds when it hosts game four in the best-of-seven series tonight at Dort Federal Event Center.

The Firebirds evened the series at 1-1 against the highly-favored Greyhounds in the Soo, but failed to take advantage of home ice despite a awesome start to Game 3.

The Firebirds grabbed an early lead with a goal from Kole Sherwood, a ’97 from New Albany, OH, signed as a free agent by the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this year. Sherewood’s goal came just 8:12 into the game as the home team outshot its guest 11-2 through the first half of the opening period.

Another Ohio native, Tim Gettinger put the visitors on the board later and teams were even at the end of a period. Gettinger, a ’98 drafted by the New York Rangers in the fifth round last summer, connected for a shorthanded goal with 2:13 to play in the opening period.

Zachary Senyshyn, a ’97 from Ottawa and a first round pick of the Boston Bruins, put the Hounds in front to stay with his goal just past the halfway mark of the second and Boris Katchouk, a ’98 from Waterloo, ON already drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning, sank the clincher into an empty net with 48 seconds to play.

Joseph Raaymakers, a ’98 from Chatham picked up the win in goal, turning aside 33 shots for the Hounds while Connor Hicks, a ’97 from Kanata turned aside 25 of 27 in goal for the Firebirds.

These two teams also met a half dozen times through the regular season and ironically, the visiting team came out on top all six times – three for the Firebirds (one of them in shootout and another in overtime) and three for the visiting Greyhounds.

NA3HL

Silver Cup – The NA3HL league championship series kicks off today at Romeoville, IL. I previewed today’s games yesterday and here is the schedule for tomorrow.

Early games will see Metro Jets taking on Atlanta Capitals while the Granite City Lumberjacks square off against the St. Louis Jr. Blues.

The other pool will have North Iowa Bulls facing Binghamton Jr. Senators in the second group of games while the Long Beach Sharks meet the Yellowstone Quake.

Round Robin play wraps up on Friday with the top two teams from each group moving into semis on Saturday and the single game championship will be played on Sunday.