IceDogs edge Otters
Owen Flores made 48 saves as the Niagara IceDogs topped the Erie Otters 3-2 Wednesday night in Erie. File Photo: OHL IMAGES.
The Niagara IceDogs returned to the win column for the first time in almost a month with a 3-2 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action Wednesday night in Erie.
The victory was the first for Niagara since a 6-2 win at Sudbury Feb.19 and put an end to a 10-game losing streak.
“It feels really good,” IceDogs coach Ryan Kuwabara said. “I am so happy for our group they got better as the game went along and found a way to win late.”
Zakary Lavoie netted the winner at 19:01 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie.
Erie took a 2-1 lead after one period on goals from Bruce McDonald and Kaleb Smith sandwiched around Lavoie’s first of the game.
Following a scoreless second period, Declan Waddick evened the game at 2-2 with a power-play marker at the 1:07 mark of the third.
Waddick and Lavoie are tied for the team lead in goals with 26.
Kuwabara is hopeful the club can build on the win and finish the season strong.
“I think playing within our structure and getting them to have confidence in what they are doing out there,” he said when asked what the club did well.
Once again, Owen Flores turned in a spectacular performance in goal for Niagara with 48 saves, including 19 in the second period alone.
The IceDogs, 12-43-8-1, are at Barrie Saturday and home to the Peterborough Petes Sunday at 2 p.m. Niagara concludes the season with a pair of home games Saturday, March 25 versus North Bay and Sunday, March 26 versus Sarnia.
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