Van Steensel’s first as a Colt lifts them past Hounds

Owen Van Steensel couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first goal as a Barrie Colt.

The former North Bay winger, who was acquired at the OHL Trade Deadline last month, transformed a turnover behind the net with 4:25 remaining into the game-winning goal to lead the Colts past the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, 4-2, Saturday night, in front of 4,156 at Sadlon Arena.

The overager’s first in a Barrie uniform came just 11 seconds after captain Beau Jelsma’s power-play goal tied the contest at 2-2 late in the third period.

Chase Reid took a pass behind the net from goalie and Barrie native Landon Miller and looked to slide it across to teammate Brodie McConnell-Barker, but Van Steensel picked off the pass and jumped in front before lifting it over the glove of Miller who was desperately trying to get back in goal.

It was Van Steensel’s first goal in 14 games with Barrie.

“It’s a huge goal for me. It’s a huge goal for the team,” a relieved Van Steensel said of his game-winner. “It was long overdue, so we’re happy to get the monkey off the back and hopefully I can keep going from here.”

Van Steensel has had some good chances to snap the scoring skid but appeared snake-bitten. The opportunity is there now that this will open the floodgates for the veteran.

“Let’s hope so,” said the 20-year-old who now has 14 goals on the season. “I’ve had some good looks in the last couple of games and I just needed a bounce like that, and there it was.”

Colts’ general manager and head coach Marty Williamson was happy to see his veteran finally get one. Especially after Van Steensel’s turnover in the first period led to a goal by the Hounds’ Brady Martin.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Williamson said of being happy that Van Steensel finally caught a break. “He’s been playing hard. He was upset at the turnover in the first and it’s really nice to see him get one. This is a kid that wears his heart on his sleeve. He wants good things for this team and he’s playing hard, and he feels like he hasn’t contributed enough.

“It’s nice to see him get that first one.”

It was yet another late comeback for the Colts (33-14-2-1), who have now won nine of their last 10 games and have collected 19 of 20 points during that run.

Barrie now leads Niagara by nine points atop the Central Division and has a two-point lead on the Bradford Bulldogs atop the Eastern Conference with two games in hand.

“It’s both ways. Those two points were huge for them,” said Williamson of the Hounds who sit just two points ahead of the Owen Sound Attack for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. “They’re trying to make the playoffs, so that was really big for them. That’s what we’re up against, then they also know they’re coming up against a first-place team in the East.

“Everybody gets up for us. I didn’t like our first period, but after that, I liked our hockey game.”

The Hounds (20-28-1-1) had a strong effort all game and likely deserved better, leading 2-1 on a Travis Hayes marker close to halfway through the third and outshooting Barrie 44-29 in the contest.

Williamson gave credit to the rebuilding Hounds, saying they didn’t let Barrie get much off the rush.

“That’s a good young team,” he said of the Soo. “They’re going to win games. They remind me of us last year. We played hard and made it difficult for teams and they are doing the same.”

A turnover in the Soo end led to the lone goal of the first period. Martin raced down the ice on a two-on-one with Marco Mignosa and fired it through Barrie netminder Sam Hillebrandt.

The Colts’ power play was strong once again and it helped them draw even with just 2:02 remaining in the second. The red-hot Emil Hemming improved his point streak to seven games (5-7-12) when he wired a one-timer into the top corner on a pass from Kashawn Aitcheson.

Hayes would give the Soo the lead back in the third, but the Barrie power play went back to work.

Like a similar play with the man advantage in Niagara last Saturday, Dalyn Wakely took a pass in the left faceoff circle and quickly moved it to the slot to Jelsma, who hammered a one-timer into the top corner with 4:36 remaining.

“Our power play was clicking for us,” said Williamson. “That was pretty important. It went 2-for-3, and then (Van Steensel) got that goal, so a lot of good things.

“It was a hell of a job by Hillebrandt in the net. He was outstanding.”

Hillebrandt performed exceptionally throughout the game, particularly in the third period. He played a crucial role in helping Barrie navigate two penalty kills while maintaining a one-goal lead for the Soo. Additionally, he demonstrated remarkable skill late in the period by holding his ground during another power play when the Hounds had pulled their goalie.

“That’s a really special thing we have here,” Van Steensel said of having two strong goaltenders in Ben Hrebik and Hillebrandt.  “Not too often you can say that you have two top-of-the-line goalies. We’re confident when either one is in net, so that tandem has been really good for us.”

The Colts’ penalty kill held the Hounds scoreless on four chances and also had a shorthanded marker with that coming on Riley Patterson’s empty-netter with 23 seconds remaining.

“It’s been good for us for most of the year,” Williamson said of the penalty kill which ranks fourth overall. “Even at the end there, with the six-on-four, I thought the guys were pretty fundamental on what they had to do, and then Hilly made big saves.”

For the Colts, they believe they are never out of a game.

“We started slow, but we just got better as the night went on,” said Van Steensel. “They (Soo) came ready to play. I think it’s the resilience we have in this group and we’re here to win.

“We’re not going to settle for anything less.”

The Colts will have a few days off before facing the London Knights at home next Thursday.

London leads the OHL standings with 81 points and staged its own third-period rally on home ice in its only meeting this season with Barrie back on Oct. 11, scoring three times in the third to edge the Colts, 5-4.

“Two heavyweights going at it, right,” said Van Steensel. “So, we’re just going to try to come prepared like we always do, and hopefully that one goes our way.”

Game time Thursday night is 7 p.m.

ICE CHIPS

Saturday was Hockey Fights Cancer night at the rink, with the Colts donating $15,000 to a local charity supported by former coach Dale Hawerchuk’s Hawerchuk Strong charitable organization. Hawerchuk died of cancer in 2019. . . The line of Van Steensel, Wakely, and Anthony Romani finished the game strong. It’s taken some time for the former top North Bay line to adjust. “That’s just part of the chemistry we have,” Van Steensel said of the strong finish. “They’re not going in for us right now, but we’ve had lots of looks, a lot of good opportunities.” . . . Patterson’s team-leading 21^st goal increased his point streak to seven games (3-9-12). . . Jelsma’s 18^th of the season ran his point streak to six games (3-6-9). . . Miller was also solid in goal for the Hounds, turning aside 25 of 28 shots. . . Tristan Bertucci (illness) missed his second-straight game. . . Michael Derbidge served out his two-game suspension and can return Thursday.