Game Story - Skyhawks thump Northern Wolves

Skyhawks forward Tyler Perry scored a natural hat trick in the 3rd to break a 3-3 tie as the North Bay Skyhawks went on to beat the Sudbury Northern Wolves 7-3 in game one of the NOJHL's East Quarterfinals.

The affair proved no love losses between the Gateway City and Big Nickel. Tuesday’s game was a great indication of what’s in store for quarterfinal action as the Hwy 17 rivals make a run for the Dudley Hewitt Cup.

In the first, hanging out in the slot Marc Andre Rizk jumped on a loose puck and found the back of the net, giving the Skyhawks the 1-0 lead. Tyler Perry and Josh Merson picked up assist on the power play goal.

Shortly after, Sudbury would use a power play to square the game at one. Rob Bonhomme notched the credit for the goal with the lone helper handed out to Jason Kauffeldt.

The tentative squads perhaps with some playoffs jitters produced minimum scoring chances and could only muster a combined sixteen shots in the first. After twenty minutes the clubs skated into the dressing room tied at one.

Veteran Rizk got things rolling for the Skyhawks in the second with a power tally at the 7:57 mark. On a harmless Alex Ward point shot Rizk recorded his second of the game. Getting a piece of the puck in front of the net to beat net minder Paul Pidutti five hole. David Frawley had the other assist.

With momentum Tyler Perry gave Skyhawks some cushion after displaying some backyard dangles on breakaway that left Pidutti searching for his jock strap. Frawley and David Cappadocia grabbed the assist.

Bringing the Wolves back to with in one Neil MacDonald buried the rubber top shelf after being left alone out front with Chris Abbey on his own. Jacques Proulx and Brian McGarry collected the helpers.

The Wolves only needed thirty seconds to reply sending a message to the Skyhawks fans that they were in for a series. Skyhawks took the one goal lead into the third.

Skyhawks lead vanished early with MacDonald collecting his second of the night on broken play that left him alone out front. The mark came forty-six seconds into the frame sending silence through out the Gardens. McGarry was award the lone assist.

Stealing the show, Tyler Perry replied quickly giving the Skyhawks the one goal lead.

The goal started a furious Skyhawks attack that saw Perry net the natural hat trick and Alex Ward grab a single. This proves why the Skyhawks finished atop the NOJHL.

“Our big guns came out to play tonight. Frawley, Perry on the line with Capadoica were excellent tonight and out played McGarry’s line and impressively,” said Coach Randy Edmonds.

“I thought they were the better team in the first forty minutes,” said Edmonds.

“We really turned it up in third and played the way we wanted to play. I thought we used our speed and got the puck to the net, leading us to score some nice goals.”

With the four goal lead, late third period play got out of hand in game that eventually racked up over three hundred minutes in penalties. Wolves looked as if they wanted to send a message by dropping the gloves.

The message started an ugly display of sportsmanship at fifteen second mark. Brawls broke out on the ice that led to the clearing of the Sudbury bench and slashing of the throat gesture coming from Sudbury coach Brian McGillis.

“It’s an unfortunate situation. They have everything to win in that situation. We think our depth is stronger, so it might be better for us,” said Edmonds. “It was obvious their coach sent the bench.”

“In sense we got we wanted. It created a lot of emotion in a series that might not have had much.

“You don’t like to see things like that happen, but it got our blood boiling and you need that during playoff time.”

Skyhawks will look to take the two game lead tonight in Sudbury, in what is likely to be a rough one in quarterfinal action.

Game Notes: Frawley picked up five assist to go along with Perry’s six point night that saw him grab fours goals and two helpers. Chris Abbey was solid between the pipes when called upon. MacDonald had two goals for the Wolves.