Barrie dominates Ottawa 4-2 in first game of second-round series

It was not the Ottawa 67’s finest effort on April 9 as they weren’t able to muster any energy or mojo from the hop of Game 1 of the OHL playoffs second round series with the Barrie Colts.

The Colts won 4-2 on home ice in the Sadlon Arena.

67’s head coach Dave Cameron had the fourth line starting again for the fifth straight game which seems to be a very common theme as he wanted them to spark the team early on.

That was not what happened. The Barrie Colts came to play, strikng twice just under five minutes into the game, including a goal just 33 seconds in. Ottawa suddenly found themselves in a pickle. Those Colts’ goals were from Mason Zebeski and Kashawn Aitcheson.

It was mainly all Barrie in the first period and they fed off a loud home crowd.

Ottawa cut the lead to one with a goal from Nic Whitehead who had his first of the playoffs but was replied with a Barrie goal from Ben Wilmott, who got in all alone and beat Ryder Fetterolf. The momentum was sucked out of the 67’s.

At the end of the second period, Ottawa 67’s defenceman David Bedkowksi’s night came to an end early, as in back-to-back games he has now been ejected. This time it was for spearing Kashawn Aitcheson when the two teams crossed paths at the end of the period. He received a match penalty.

Barrie got one more goal early in the third period from Emil Hemming to give the Colts a three-goal lead on that lengthy penalty from David Bedkowski.

67’s rookie Thomas Vandenberg scored a late goal for Ottawa and it would be the last of the game. It gave Ottawa something to look forward to as they head into Game 2.

The 67’s will have a chance to watch film, tighten up and force them to be ready for Game 2 in the hopes of tying the series on April 11 before coming home to Ottawa.

67’s goaltender Ryder Fetterolf stopped 30 of 34 shots in his first loss of the playoffs. He kept the 67’s in the game and kept it from being a blowout.