Colby Barlow led by example, as the captain netted a hat trick in a big 4-1 win for the Owen Sound Attack Friday night, over the division rival Kitchener Rangers at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Coming into Friday night, the Attack were on a tough 3-game skid, and it was the captain who led the team right from the drop of the puck. With Servac Petrovsky returning from injury, he centred the Attack’s top line with Barlow and Guindon, and the three Attack stars were a force all night offensively.
It looked rough for the Attack early as, the home Rangers were playing with pace, while the first few chances that Owen Sound generated, were either turned aside by great goaltending or rang off the post. It took a fortunate bounce for Barlow to open the scoring into the latter half of the period, when a Petrovsky slot shot, deflected off the Attack captain to elude Marco Costantini. The went right to the Attack’s legs as they began too tilt the ice in their favour, and it was his next shift out that Barlow slammed home a loose puck at the side of the net to put the Bears up by a pair.
Though not heavily taxed in the first period, goalie Nick Chenard was called upon in the second as the Rangers had a strong push. Unfortunately, for the Chenard he was beat by a point shot through traffic, but was solid later in the period when the Attack had back to back penalties to kill off.
In his second with Owen Sound Matthew Papais, having been acquired form Niagara earlier in the week, restored the two goal lead just before the midway point of period two, deflecting home a centring pass from Deni Goure.
The Rangers pushed hard throughout the remainder of the game, but the Attack held firm, and we ultimately able to seal the game when Barlow completed his hat trick into the empty net.
by Brock Tanner
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