The North York Rangers took the lead against the St. Michaels Buzzers in the first period and maintained it until the end of the game to secure a tight 2-0 victory.
North York took over the lead for good with a goal by Nick Zanette at 1:50 in the first period. Louis Kereakou picked up the assist.
Jeremie Lintner frustrated St. Michaels’ offense all game, and stopped 31 shots en route to a shutout. Lintner certainly lowered his goals against average, which was 2.19 entering the contest.
The Rangers were sparked by Zanette, who had one goal.
North York put up an impenetrable defensive front on the penalty kill, and did not allow the Buzzers to score on any of their five power plays. The Rangers’ defensive play was more effective than usual against St. Michaels. North York allows 3.0 goals per game. The Rangers could not stay out of the penalty box, as the team accrued 24 minutes in penalties during the game.
Chris Sekelyk also scored for North York. In addition, North York received assists from Jeremy Szabo, Tyler Currie, and Nick Campoli, who each chipped in one.
The Buzzers did not reach the goal total they have come to expect this season. St. Michaels puts an average of 3.6 pucks into the net per game. The Buzzers’ offense rang up 31 shots on North York’s net.
The Rangers registered zero goals on two power play opportunities. St. Michaels’ Mark Manolescu stopped 26 shots out of the 28 that he faced. The Buzzers incurred 16 minutes in penalty time with three minors.
