Preds win home opener 6-3 in physical game

After a slow start, the Niagara Predators cruised to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Northumberland Stars to win their home opener Friday in their second season at Virgil’s Meridian Credit Union Arena. 

It was a penalty-filled Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) match, with the Stars assessed penalties seven times in the first period alone, including twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. The physical brand of play by the much older and much larger Northumberland squad seemed to throw off the young Predators early in the game, but it was something head coach Kevin Taylor had warned his team about. 

“I knew (Northumberland) was going to take a lot of penalties,” Taylor said after the game. “I was just trying to keep the guys emotionally in check.”

The slow start allowed Northumberland’s Thomas Murphy to open the scoring just over six minutes into the game. But 16-year-old Predators forward Nolan Wyers responded only 49 seconds later when he skated in unchecked and put one past Stars goalie Caeden Bellmann.

The period ended with a 1-1 tie, and with the Predators holding a five-on-three advantage for the last five seconds, when the Stars’ Justice Scheltgen was handed a five-minute major for a vicious cross-check just 32 seconds after Murphy was charged for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Niagara carried that advantage into the second period, and Anthony Tropea capitalized on it to put the Predators up 2-1. That was followed by returning forward Reese Bisci’s first goal of the year on another power play later in the period, after he accepted a perfect pass from behind the net from Riley Ellis. Just over a minute later, Wais Ayubi, who had just joined the team Friday afternoon, pushed the score to 4-1 for the Preds with what turned out to be the winning goal. 

“He was trying out for another team and he came over today,” Taylor said. “We signed him just today. What a bonus for a player like that. A great start to his season.”

The tables were turned early in the third when Ellis took a high sticking penalty, allowing Murphy to notch his second goal of the game for the Stars on that power play. But Bisci answered 11 seconds later with the Preds’ fifth of the game, his second, assisted by Ayubi. Ellis then atoned for leaving his team shorthanded by scoring number six for the Preds almost exactly a minute later. Northumberland’s Aidan Robertson scored on the power play with Preds defender Dawson Walker serving time for delay of game later in the period.

The Stars tried in vain to mount a comeback in the last six minutes, and it led to much frustration that continued to seethe to the final second. Northumberland’s Liam Chapman cross-checked a Niagara player hard into the boards, causing a scrum to begin, with a few punches thrown by both sides. Referees worked to calm things down quickly, and Chapman was assessed for a five-minute major at the end of the game.  

When the ice was finally cleared, Taylor was happy with the result and, more importantly, with the way the team played.

“We wanted to keep the speed going,” he explained. “We got the guys going wide. It’s a bigger ice surface (than St. George’s rink, where the Predators lost their season opener 2-1 five days earlier), so it helped us. We came up with a big win, and the leadership group stepped up for us today.”

Chief among that leadership group is second-year Predator Max Bredin, wearing the captain’s C on home ice for the first time. The St. Davids resident appreciates the weight of the letter on his jersey.

“It’s a real honour,” said the 19-year-old, “especially being from NOTL. I just want to do the town proud, being the only hometown guy on the team. It’s a big responsibility, with only a few guys returning from last year. It’s a big task to be part of the leadership group.”

Bredin joined the Predators defensive corp last November and quickly made an impact. He played in 28 games, amassing four goals and 20 assists in that stretch. At the time he signed with Niagara they had already worked their way through a number of early games with few players on the bench. Two games into 2022-2023, the team is facing the same issue, dressing only 16 skaters Friday night.

“It’s going to be a bit of a grind during the front end of the season,” admitted Bredin. “But the guys coming in will be a big help and will really strengthen the team when they arrive.”

Team owner Robert Turnbull, who stepped in last season to also serve as head coach and general manager, was at Friday’s game and was pleased with the quality of what he saw on the ice. 

“It’s a young, young team, but they play with a lot of spark,” Turnbull said. “Once we get our European players over, and we sign a few more, this team could go to the championship.”

Taylor gave the player of the game designation to Tropea, one of three assistant captains (along with returning players Dawson Walker and Logan Baillie), whose power play goal in the second period seemed to get the puck going for the Preds. 

“It was a timely goal,” Taylor told The Local. “And he showed great leadership tonight, too. He slowed the game down and controlled the puck a lot tonight. He really stood out for me tonight.”

He also lauded the play of goaltender Ryan Santini for shutting down the Stars repeatedly during shorthanded situations and making some key saves. 

About 90 spectators filled the stands Friday night, and were treated to pre-game and between-period live music from Niagara hard rock band Bitter Pill, fronted by defenceman Dawson Walker’s father James. Predators assistant coach Connor Shipton strapped on his Gibson guitar during the first intermission to join the band in blasting out a cover of The Offspring’s Come Out and Play.

The Windsor Aces come to town for the Predators’ third game of the season this Friday night, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and $5 for kids under 12 years old.