Trappers can't rise against the Sons (updated)

Story by Michelle Baril

The North Bay Trappers faced-off Sunday afternoon against and a strong and unforgiving Nickel City Sons squad to came out hard and took the game 5-3.

An early chance for the Trappers set the tone for this contest five minutes into the first. Brad Prescott of the Trappers came charging up the left side of the ice, fired a shot at the hash marks, but with four Sons players in front of the net Prescott couldn’t bury the rebound past Nickel City goaltender Eric Fraser.

“It was a solid effort and the guys played hard,” North Bay Trappers Head Coach Beau Moyer said.

Special teams were the story in this game with both teams exhibiting impressive penalty kills; a goal a piece shorthanded but a suffering powerplay on both ends limited the Sons to the only goal of the game with the extra man.
Scoring opened midway through the first with a shorthanded goal. Nickel City’s Darcy Haines picked up a clearing attempt in the neutral zone, beat three North Bay defenders, and notched the puck above Trappers goalie Tanner Davis to put the Sons the board.

Three minutes later the Sons struck again this time at even strength with Shane Violette rifling a pass to Dexton Abresh who caught two North Bay defenceman sleeping in the neutral zone and sniped the puck top shelf over Davis.
The Sons added two more unanswered goals by Sebastien Leroux and Jordan Deppisch and assists going to Marc Bastien, Leroux, and Jean Marc Crew with two.

The Sons played a very physical, disciplined game using their bodies and speed, not giving up many chances, and forcing the Trappers to ice the puck.

With a four-goal deficit the Trappers started the second period with Patrick Rochefort between the pipes. The first quality chance the Trappers had was halfway through the period when a big hit in the defensive zone sprung Adam Marceau on a breakaway. Fraser stopped the initial shot and Marceau was unable to capitalize on the rebound.

Head coach Beau Moyer felt he should take the blame for this loss in the home opener.

“We were down 4-0 after 1 playing a defensive style the kids were not used to,” Moyer said.

North Bay turned on the gas late in the second and their coming on a top shelf goal by Dylan Staples to give the Trappers the boost they needed heading into the third.
The third started with both teams hitting hard and skating fast. The Trappers narrowed the three-goal gap to two after a shorthanded goal Scott Pawson came unassisted midway through the third to tighten the score 4-2.

Anthony Trozzo took an untimely holding the stick penalty with nine minutes in that lead to a Nickel City Powerplay goal by Abresch. Crew started the play with a tape pass to Alex Battiselli who shot through traffic and Abresch deflected it past Rochefort.

North Bay answered with 2:24 to go in the third when Field chipped the puck past Fraser to once again bring the Trappers within two. It was too little too late for the Trappers though as they fell 5-3 to the Sons after their last extra man advantage in the final minute, the puck bounced over the stick of a North Bay defenceman and out of the offensive zone.

The Trappers face-off again at the West Ferris arena next Saturday against Sault Ste Marie; puck drops at 7:20.