It wasn’t the start the Owen Sound Attack were hoping for.
Ryan McGuire, Cam Allen, Wil McFadden and Daniil Skvortsov scored first period goals as the Guelph Storm jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held off a late rally to beat the Attack 6-4 in the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League season opener for the two Midwest foes Friday night at the Sleeman Centre.
“I thought we played hard to the end. I thought we made a lot of young mistakes. But, pretty happy with the effort, coming into Guelph in a home opener for them and keeping them under 20 shots,” says Attack head coach Scott Wray. “I know they had a couple of Grade A scoring opportunities, but when you keep a team under 20 shots things should happen in your favour.”
The Attack ended up outshooting the Storm 27-19. But Owen Sound spent much of the game trailing by three-plus goals, until a late push in the third period caused a bit of angst among the home crowd.
Pierce Mbuyi, Owen Sound’s first-round selection in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, scored his first OHL goal with a perfectly placed shot off the rush with four minutes to go. He picked up the puck on the right wing in the neutral zone and broke in on a 2-on-1, elected to keep and shoot — ripping one past the blocker of Brayden Gillespie. That cut Guelph’s lead to 6-3.
Just over two minutes later Antonio Tersigni used a burst of speed down the left side to create a lane to the net, then put a high shot short side under the crossbar to bring the Attack within two. That was during 4-on-4 play. Three seconds later the Attack were on the power play, the game suddenly within reach.
Owen Sound pulled goaltender Matthew Koprowski for the extra attacker and spent some time working in the offensive zone. But they couldn’t find a way through to the net.
Jake Karabela and Alex McLean also scored for Guelph. McLean, a first-round pick of the Storm in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection, had his first in the OHL. Skvortsov’s marker was also his first in the league.
Jake Crawford and Landen Hookey had the other goals for Owen Sound. Hookey’s came on the power play at 14:35 of the first period, cutting Guelph’s lead to 2-1 at the time.
But McFadden and Skvortsov would score before the siren sounded to end the opening 20, putting the Storm ahead 4-1.
It was 5-1 just over four minutes into the second period. An Attack clearing attempt hit the skate of an official and sent Guelph in on a 2-on-0 down low. Koprowski sprawled to his right and looked for a moment to make a spectacular stick save, but the puck trickled through and creeped over the goal line.
Crawford cut the Guelph lead to 5-2 with 3:47 to go in the second period. Rafik Varosyan was sprung on a breakaway and hit the crossbar – a shot some in the rink thought was in as the goal lamp lit up. Crawford stuck with the play and tapped the loose puck into the net.
Karabela made it 6-2 early in the third with a power play goal, before the late push by the Attack in the final minutes of the third.
Game 1 and one fight in the books. Hookey and Rowan Topp dropped the gloves late in the second period. The Attack overage forward finished an assist short of the Gordie Howe hat trick.
Gillespie made 23 saves in the win, while Koprowski stopped 13 taking the loss. Owen Sound outshot Guelph 27-19 while going 1 for 4 on the power play; the Storm finished 1 for 3.
Guelph dominated the face-off circle, winning 41 draws to Owen Sound’s 21.
REMATCH, IN OWEN SOUND
The Attack and Storm will do battle again on Saturday evening. But this time it’s Owen Sound’s turn for a home opener. Game time Saturday is 7 p.m., at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
CARTER BACK
Goaltender Carter George was in Guelph with the Attack Friday after being reassigned to the OHL by the Los Angeles Kings, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. But he was given the night off after a busy week of travel.
YOUNG BEARS MAKE DEBUTS
A handful of Attack players made their OHL debuts Friday evening. Mbuyi, Elliot Arnett, Trent Gates, Ethan Kindree, Max Bleicher and Varosyan.
Mbuyi, Varosyan and Bleicher already collected their first OHL points. Mbuyi had a goal. Varosyan, a second-round pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft, had an assist. And Bleicher, Owen Sound’ first-round pick in the 2024 Import Draft, finished with two assists.