Steelheads Comeback Falls Short in Shootout

On Friday the Steelheads put their two-game home winning streak on the line against their division rivals, the Barrie Colts. Clint Windsor made his Steelheads debut between the pipes for Mississauga; at the other end of the ice Mathias Niederberger got the call for the Colts.

Clint Windsor’s Steelheads debut was spoiled early in the first, after Anthony Camara’s point shot was tipped in by Andreas Athanasiou just 6:31 into the first period. Athansaiou’s goal was his first of the season; Mark Scheifele also picked up an assist on the play.

The hole would get deeper for the Steelheads; at the 12:39 mark the Barrie Colts extended their lead to 2-0 after Steven Byers unleashed a wrist shot from the top of the circle for his first of the season. Brendan Bell and Zach Hall would get the helpers.

The first period saw the Steelheads go 0/2 on the Power Play while only recording one shot. The shots after 1 were 10 – 7 in favor of the Colts.

The Colts started the second on a Power Play after Bobby MacIntyre took a hooking penalty with 35 seconds left in the first period.  0:46 into the early Power Play, Anthony Camara would extend the Colts lead to 3-0; Camara grabbed his own rebound and put it past Windsor for his team-leading 6th of the season. Mark Scheifele would pick up his second assist of the game, and Ryan O’Connor his first.

The Colts’ Ryan O’Connor would find himself in the box for a high stick on Andrew Goldberg. With the opportunity the Steelheads power play would connect to make it 3-1. Fan favorite Riley Brace spotted Dylan Smoskowitz in the high slot who snapped it past his former teammate Mathias Niederberger at 5:05 for his second goal in as many games.  Dylan DeMelo picked up the second assist on the play.

At 16:29 with the Colts’ Brendan Bell in the box for slashing, Riley Brace would convert a pass from Josh Burnside at the side of the net, for his team leading 3^rd of the season; Dylan DeMelo picked up his second assist bringing the Steelheads within one to start the period.

After falling behind 3-0, the Steelheads dominated the play in the second by outshooting the Colts 17-6 in the second period.

Riley Brace would tie the game at 3-3 at 5:14 of the third period with his 2^nd goal and 3^rd point of the game. Josh Burnside and Captain Stuart Percy would pick up the assists.

The game would stay tied after regulation and overtime. After giving up 2 goals in the first, Clint Windsor came back to shut the door at the end of the game, stopping all ten shots that the Colts threw at him in the third, and the only shot of overtime.

The final shots were 31-27 in favor of the Steelheads.

Despite coming back from a 3-0 deficit the Steelheads fell just short in the shootout. Only Mark Scheifele was able to score in the Shootout, and the Barrie Colts extended their record to 4-2-0-0 while the Steelheads Record dropped to 2-3-0-1.

The Steelheads will hit the ice next on Monday October 8^th when they’ll travel to Brampton to take on the Battalion. Puck drop is 2:00pm. 

Justin Dahan