Attack Put Kootenay On Ice

Mississauga, ON – A shutout by 17-year old Jordan Binnington propelled the OHL champion Owen Sound Attack to their first win of the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup against the Kootenay Ice defeating them 5-0 at the Hershey Centre on Saturday night.

This was the first meeting between the Ice and Attack and it showed.

The first period was a feeling out process for both teams as they failed to find the back of the net in the early stages.

“I think we were nervous a little bit,” said Kootenay Ice assistant captain Matt Fraser.

Midway through the first, Owen Sound took back-to-back penalties, both for tripping, but managed to keep Kootenay’s power play at bay giving them few scoring opportunities.

Ice forward Cody Eakin fired a quick one-timer but Binnington flashed the glove to keep the game scoreless through 15 minutes.

It took Robby Mignardi, winner of the OHL’s Wayne Gretzky 99 award, to open the scoring when he found the back of the net with 3:11 left in the first period on the power play.  Andrew Shaw working behind the net, won the battle for the puck to feed Mignardi in the slot.

Attack resumed the scoring in the second period when Roman Berdnikov received a drop pass from just inside the blue line after a great heads-up play by Mike Halmo.  Berdnikov fired a wrist shot over the blocker of Nathan Lieuwen from the off wing to give the Attack a 2-0 lead.

Kootenay started to pick up their pace maintaining consistent pressure in the offensive zone after falling behind 2-0.  Binnington continued to stand tall stopping all 24 shots he faced after two periods of play.

“Anyone of the three can go in and give us a chance to win, and tonight he stole one for us,” said Jesse Blacker about the play of 17-year old net minder. “It’s pretty impressive.”

Joey Hishon tried to make it a three goal lead midway through the third period, but Lieuwen stretched out to make a great pad save denying Hishon on the breakaway.

Mignardi with his second, Fritsch and team captain Garrett Wilson added markers in the third period to finish off the scoring.

“Our game is all about fore-checking and if we’re getting away from that then we’re going to have problems,” Mignadi said.

Despite outshooting the Owen Sound Attack, the Kootenay Ice were unable to score in regulation.

“I thought we played well in the first, and I thought we dominated in the second we deserved a better fate then that,” said Fraser.  “Bounces were going against us, but you have to create your own bounces in a tournament like this.”

Binnington stopped all 29 shots he faced to preserve the shutout.  Lieuwen gave up five goals on 28 shots in the decision.

Joey Hishon left the ice with just over five minutes in the third period after being leveled by Ice captain Brayden McNabb who was assessed a five minute major for the elbow.

The next game for Kootenay is Sunday, May 22 against the host team Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.  Owen Sound will resume play against the Saint John Sea Dogs Monday, May 23.