NEWCOMERS HAVE BIG IMPACT IN ORANGEVILLE NORTHMEN WIN OVER BURLINGTON BLAZE

The Orangeville Northmen shocked the OJLL with a trade just before the midnight deadline. All three new acquisitions from Brampton – Bowie Horsman, Dante Bowen and Connor O’Toole – impacted Sunday’s game against the Burlington Blaze, an 11-6 win for the Northmen on home floor.

Former Excelsiors captain Bowie Horsman was first to score, six minutes in. However, the top offensive player on either side was Burlington’s Xander Derkatz (formely of the Oakville Buzz) who scored twice in the first period, the second of which came on the power play. That’s also where Joey Spallina’s first goal was scored roughly a minute and a half later to end the first tied 2-2.

OJLL stats leader Will MacLeod and Derkatz went back-to-back to kick off the second period, but then the Northmen went on one of their patented second-period runs. Led by Liam Matthews, Orangeville scored four of the final five goals of the period (with Derkatz netting the lone Blaze marker). Matthews scored twice with Cole Teeple and Cam Sanderson also pitching in to give Orangeville a 6-5 lead.

Early in the third, Alex Marinier scored to tie the game, but that was all the offence Burlington would muster. Fellow trade deadline acquisition Brian Jackman scored twice and added an assist in Orangeville’s five goals to end the period, and the game, 11-6 for the first-place Orangeville Northmen.

Liam Matthews led Orangeville with six points (4+2). Joey Spallina (2+3) and Bowie Horsman (1+4) were right behind with five, with Trey Deere adding four assists. Connor O’Toole stopped 41 of 47 shots for his first win in Orangeville.

Xander Derkatz four goals in his Burlington debut were a career high. Alex Marinier (1+3) also finished with four points. Calum Leaver-Preyra stopped 51 of 62 shots.