The Battalion got the secondary scoring they were looking for but it was not enough as they dropped a 3-2 overtime decision at the hands of the Barrie Colts at the empty Sadlon Arena Saturday afternoon.
Ethan Cardwell tipped home the game-winner in the opening minute of overtime to seal the win for the hometown Colts.
The Battalion got on the board late in the first when Nic Sima made a beautiful off-balance cross-crease pass to Dalyn Wakely who whipped it past Matt Guzda to give the Troops the early lead at 18:51.
That goal came only a few minutes after Sima took a nasty knee-on-knee collision in the neutral zone.
The Colts got the equalizer on a strange play early in the second as a shot through traffic by Declan McDonnell was tipped by Beau Jelsma and flipped up and behind Joe Vrbetic to even things at 1-1 at 1:15.
With coach Oulahen breaking up the Coe-Russell-Petrov line, Coe tried to set up his new linemate. The Battalion sniper had a great rush midway through the contest where he fed Owen Van Steensel and the shot it just wide, or may have gone off Colts goaltender Matt Guzda on the great scoring opportunity.
McDonnell, from close to the same spot as the deflection tally; ripped a shot that went off both posts and in which gave the Colts their first lead near the 15 minute mark of the second frame.
The Battalion looked for the equalizer in the final minute of the second period but Guzda robbed Brandon Coe on a rebound and Mitchell Russell point blank to keep it 2-1 after two periods.
The Colts came into the contest with a tight 9-1-1-0 when leading after two periods of play.
Near the 12-minute mark of the third though, the Troops got the equalizer off a big rebound from a shot by Nikita Tarasevich which Guzda punched out into the slot where 2021 first-round pick Owen Outwater buried the rebound to even things at 2-2.
That meant for the third time this year, these two teams needed extra time.
In extra time, Joe Vrbetic came up big stopping Ethan Cardwell on a breakaway 30 seconds in, but the Colts kept possession and Brandt Clarke's shot was tipped in front by Cardwell for the game winner only 55 seconds into OT.
The Battalion played the game without forward Kyle McDonald, who served his second of a four-game suspension, while Liam Arnsby and Kyle Jackson continue to be sidelined by injury.
Battalion scoring star Brandon Coe, who finished a -3 on this night, had his seven-game goal-scoring streak ended. The San Jose Sharks prospect leads the Battalion with 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points.
Joe Vrbetic had a solid outing rebounding from the 8-2 loss at home to the Colts last week. He turned away 25 of 28 shots in the overtime setback.
The Troops are back in action on Sunday afternoon at an empty North Bay Memorial Gardens as they host the visiting Sudbury Wolves. Puck drop is at 2 p.m.
