Photo credit: Valerie Wutti
The Ottawa 67’s have become predictable, in the best way possible. They continue to rack up victories with high goal totals and star forward Tye Felhaber has led the way.
The first-place 67’s lead the OHL in team scoring (averaging over four goals per game) and Felhaber leads in individual scoring (29 goals).
On Sunday, Felhaber recorded a natural hat trick in the third period to help the 67’s beat the North Bay Battalion 6-3.
Ottawa found the net three times in the opening frame, with goals from Mitchel Hoelscher, Sasha Chmelevski and Hudson Wilson, to give them a comfortable 3-0 lead early. Hoelscher finished the game with three points.
But back came the Battalion. Beginning with a Brad Chenier goal at the end of the first, North Bay scored three straight to draw even heading into the third period at TD Place.
Then Felhaber gave the 67’s the lead before putting the game away. It was the second game-winning goal for Felhaber this season.
Ottawa goaltender Cedrick Andree made 40 saves in the win. The netminder has had a breakthrough season in his first year as a full-time starter. He is top five in the OHL in wins and goals against average.
Although they gave up three goals, the 67’s kept North Bay star Justin Brazeau off the score sheet. Brazeau ranks third in the league in both goals and points and has been the catalyst for the Battalion offense all season long.
The last time the 67’s lost in regulation was against North Bay all the way back on October 3rd. Since then, they are 18-0-3-1.
In their only other game last week, Ottawa topped the Frontenacs 6-2 Wednesday morning in Kingston.
Again, Andree shone as the starter in net. He stopped two breakaways and one two-on-one opportunities in the second period to maintain the one-goal advantage built by the 67’s.
D-man Noel Hoefenmayer opened the scoring on the power play with his fifth goal of the season, a slap shot through traffic that got by Kingston goaltender Brendan Bonello.
Kody Clark and Sasha Chmelevski each found the net to bring their season totals to the double digits, both scoring their tenth goals of the season. Chmelevski recorded a goal and three assists to give him his second straight game with four points.
Felhaber’s power play goal late in the third period gave the 67’s their third power play goal of the game. They finished the matchup 3/4 on the man advantage.
Matthew Maggio also contributed with a slick forehand snap off a move down the left boards and Hudson Wilson scored his first goal of the season with a short-handed mark on an empty-netter. Wilson would go on score his second of the season later in the week in the win over North Bay.
The two wins bring the OHL-leading 67’s to 22-3-3-1 on the season. The 67’s are now 3-0 versus Kingston.
The 67’s will next play a home-and-home against the QJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques this weekend (Friday night in Gatineau and Saturday at TD Place). They will then host the Peterborough Petes on Sunday afternoon to finish the weekend.
