The first period saw both teams evenly matched, splitting goals with three apiece. Turner Evans and Holden Cattoni got Peterborough out to a 2-0 lead but Owen Sound rung off three straight to take the lead. Evans scored again in the dying six seconds of the period to make it 3-3 at the end of the first.
Peterborough exploded with three goals in less than three minutes to kick off the second thanks to Rob Hellyer, Austin Hasen and Dylan Hutchison. While Owen Sound responded with two goals, Peterborough reclaimed their three-goal lead thanks to back-to-back power-play goals from Hellyer and Thomas Hoggarth. Taite Cattoni tacked on another to try and keep the game out of reach for Owen Sound.
The North Stars kept battling and scored another two goals including a power-play score to make it 9-7. Peterborough went step-for-step, notching two goals of their own from Hellyer (to get the hat trick) and Taite, capping off the eight-goal period. Tyler Brown scored Owen Sound’s fifth score of the frame to make it 11-8 going into the third.
It was all Peterborough from here as they shut out Owen Sound while scoring four of their own. Hasen got a goal exactly halfway through the period while Hoggath and Mitch Ogilvie joined in the scoring fun. Hasen capped off his night with a hat trick with 4:03 left in regulation and that was the last goal of the night to give Peterborough the 15-8 victory.
“We knew they were going to come and really compete. They’re a young, athletic team, and they challenged us and pushed the pace. Exactly what we thought we’d see,” said Bobby Keast, Lakers’ defensive coach. “I thought our offence moved the ball extremely well which made it really hard for them to use their energy to their advantage. Defensively, I thought we made some adjustments and were able to equal their energy and build on it for the third and outwork them.”
Lakers goaltender Landon Kells got the win over Owen Sound’s Kaleb Martin between the pipes.
The Lakers have two home games this week with a rematch of the North Stars on Tuesday. The game will honour the 1984 and 2004 Mann Cup-champion Laker teams.
The Lakers will have a heavyweight bout against the defending Mann Cup-champion Six Nations Chiefs on Thursday.
