Sudbury unable to maintain momentum through double-header
The Wolves gave a shining performance in their home barn Nov. 20, closing out a game against the Saginaw Spirit with a hat trick by captain John Kurtz and a shutout by goalkeeper Alain Valiquette.
Kurtz scored one goal in each of the three periods, including a short-handed marker in the middle frame. Valiquette stood strong in net, rejecting 28 shots on net for his third shutout of the season. “While these individual efforts were instrumental in the victory, the Wolves played a solid team game,” a press release stated.
However, Saturday's game was a much different story, as the Wolves dropped a messy 5-1 decision to the conference-leading Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. The Majors have earned two points in every game against the Wolves so far this season.
The Majors got on the board first, with a power play marker at the 12:20 minute mark. The Wolves responded with a give-and-go goal by Kyle Tarini, assisted by Steve Reese.
The second period saw the wheels come off when the Majors scored three unanswered goals and chased starting netminder Valiquette from the game. Andrew Loverock took the spot between the posts as the relief. However, the Majors added one more goal before the frame was over, taking a 5-1 lead.
By the final whistle, the Wolves had served 33 penalty minutes, with a handful of players being ejected from the game. The Majors also spent 25 minutes in the penalty box throughout the game.
Valiquette and Loverock combined to make 49 saves in the loss, while Majors' goaltender Chris Carrozzi made 19 saves for the win.
The Wolves will return to action on Nov. 24 when they host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for game three of the Bell Challenge Cup Series. The Hounds currently lead the series 2-0. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Sudbury Arena.
