Freddie Hamilton scored the shootout winner and led the IceDogs with two goals and an assist in their 5-4 shootout victory over the Brampton Battalion at the PowerAde Centre Friday night. Dougie Hamilton also added a pair of assists, while Ryan Strome and David Pacan each added goals. Mark Visentin played another solid game in net for Niagara, and stopped all but one shot in the shootout to lead the IceDogs to victory.  

The IceDogs got things going early as David Pacan scored his second goal in as many games after a perfectly set up play courtesy Alex Friesen to give the IceDogs a quick 1-0 lead.

Shortly after the goal Tim Billingsley took a hooking penalty, but Niagara didn’t let up and Freddie Hamilton took a turn scoring a highlight-reel goal shorthanded by toe-dragging the Battalion defender and slipping the puck past Dennis Saikkonen to give the ‘Dogs a 2-0 lead.

Sean Jones cut the lead in half not long after as he beat Mark Visentin on the blocker side at the 6:03 mark, before Kyle Pereira followed up to quickly tie the game at 2-2.

The Battalion would then score a third goal as Sean Jones picked up his second of the game on a breakaway by putting the puck up over Visentin’s shoulder to give the game a 3-2 score.

Freddie Hamilton then answered Sean Jones’ pair with a second goal of his own as he carried the puck from the corner into the slot and patiently put it up high to tie the game once again; 3-3.

Ian Watters regained the lead for Brampton just 21 seconds into the second period, making the score 4-3.

Just over a minute later, Jason Wilson and Battalion captain Stephon Thorne got into the rough stuff and went toe-to-toe in efforts to energize their respective teams.

Following the fight, Ryan Strome kept his hot-streak going by scoring his 9th of the season at the 16:15 mark of the second period to tie the game at 4-4, and it would stay that way going into the second intermission.

The third period was scoreless with both teams creating a few chances but neither could solve the opposing netminders.

The Troops took two undisciplined penalties late in the third to give the IceDogs a power play to start the overtime period.

Brampton was able to kill of the penalty, and the remainder of the overtime period was scoreless, bringing the game into a shootout.

Sean Jones scored the first goal of the shootout with a nifty backhand move, but Ryan Strome pulled a similar move to tie the shootout 1-1. Freddie Hamilton scored with another back-hander that went post to post and in, and Mark Visentin stopped Brampton’s last shooter to give the IceDogs a 5-4 shootout victory, and stay in 1st place in the Eastern Conference.

The IceDogs will return to action tomorrow as they will play host to the Windsor Spitfires with a 7 p.m. puck drop.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at any IceDogs ticketing location, or at the IceDogs box office at the Gatorade Garden City Complex beginning at 5 p.m.


- Jeff Blay, Media Relations


Scoreboard:
1. NIAG Pacan, (6) (Friesen, D. Hamilton), 3:17    
1. NIAG F. Hamilton, (6) (D. Hamilton, Shipley), 3:53 (SH)    
1. BRA Jones, (7) (Pereira), 6:03    
1. BRA Pereira, (2) (Blujus, Johansson), 6:59    
1. BRA Jones, (8) (Moore, Tanski), 8:08    
1. NIAG F. Hamilton, (7) (Strome), 14:56    
2. BRA Watters, (8) (Pereira, Wind), 0:21    
2. NIAG Strome, (9) (F. Hamilton, Shipley), 16:15

S/O Winner: Freddie Hamilton