By Tracey Richardson
If there were hockey gods in attendance at the Owen Sound Attack's annual Pink In The Rink game Sunday afternoon, they were definitely working for the home team.
The Attack beat Windsor 5-4 in overtime in a game that should have been over with less than a minute to go in regulation. The Attack, down 4-3, pulled goaltender Jack Flinn for the extra man, and nearly lost the game when the Spitfires had a clear shot into the empty net but hit the post instead.
Seconds later, the Attack's Holden Cook netted the tying goal to send the game into overtime.
"I thought it was over, not lying, but thank God it hit the post," said Attack defenceman Thomas Schemitsch of Windsor's empty net miss. Schemitsch scored two goals in the game, including the overtime winner at the 3:16 mark. It was the sophomore's first two-goal Ontario Hockey League game and his first OT winner.
"It feels pretty good, but it's just nice to come out with the win," Schemitsch said after the game.
Sunday's victory came on the heels of a 6-0 thrashing Saturday night at the hands of the Oshawa Generals. Friday's game in London resulted in a 3-2 overtime loss.
"We haven't been happy over the last couple of games in how we played at times," said Attack coach Greg Ireland. "We needed a great effort out of everybody, and quite honestly I really thought we had a great effort out of our guys tonight. We never quit. We talked about when we were down 4-2, we weren't getting the bounces around the net, we certainly weren't getting the calls in our favour, but we just talked about battling through the bounces, and the hockey Gods, when they're sometimes not going in the right direction, you've got to work a little harder for it. We knew the guys had to stay the course, and going into the third period, I thought they fed off that and did a great job."
Flinn picked up the win, making 30 saves. Besides Schemitsch's two goals and Cook's goal, other Attack scorers were Zach Nastasiuk and Daniel Milne.
Sunday's game was the annual Pink In The Rink Canadian Cancer Society breast cancer fundraiser. A game worn jersey auction was held after the game, and a silent auction was held during the game.
The cancer fundraiser was the motivation on the Attack's locker room black board, Ireland said.
"We really talked before the game about who we're playing for," he said. "I think every family and every person in some way has been directly affected by cancer. We put on the board who we play for, and we talk about it, and I said to the guys, you think about the fight that people we know have been through, some successful, some not so successful, tonight we had to kick and scratch and claw for every call, for every inch of ice, for every goal, and I thought it was fitting that it was a come-from-behind twice victory. We made it exciting, we never gave up, and to me it's a lot more satisfying than beating a team 7-1."
The Attack are second in the Midwest Division with 13 points. They play at home again Wednesday Oct. 22 against the Barrie Colts at 7 p.m.
BETWEEN THE LINES: Injured Attack forwards Brett Hargrave (upper body) and Jaden Lindo (lower body) are week-to-week. Ireland said Lindo is getting close to being cleared for contact in practice... Daniel Milne and Kyle Platzer are the top Attack point getters with 14 apiece.
