Played on Sep 21, 2025
Game Played in GFL Memorial Gardens
General Game Notes: Sarnia travelled to play Soo in the league opening weekend. Soo won the game 5-2 with the fifth goal being an empty-netter. Soo came out very strong in the opening period, dominating the play and holding a 19-6 advantage in shots and leading 3-0, but Sarnia battled back in the next two periods to make it a closer game. A report of the top players in this game is below:
Patrick Quinlan (G, L, 6’1″, 190, Sarnia Sting, 04/19/2007, Notre Dame)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Patrick was a rock in net for his team in the loss to Soo. Despite giving up four goals, the game could have gotten out of hand in the first period if it wasn’t for the big saves he made. He faced a lot of quality shots and chances, especially in the first period. He is an athletic goalie and can get across the net very quickly. He made multiple saves on dekes where he had to move laterally quickly and outstretch his pad. He usually establishes good depth and cuts down on angles. On the first goal against, he didn’t fully set his feet and was actually moving towards the puck which made it impossible for him to get to the rebound in time. His feet do get a little wide at times so if he can work to make sure his feet are set and not too wide he will make even more saves.
Jacob Reese (D, R, 6’0″, 190, Sarnia Sting, 06/08/2006)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Reese defends well with his stick, taking away passing and shooting lanes. He blocked a shot on the rush because his stick was on the puck and he also picked off a pass because his stick was in the right lane. He made some nice cross-ice breakout pass but also had some turnovers on the breakout. One of these turnovers could have been costly as it was a backhand up the middle that was intercepted. On the offensive blue line he showed some good movement and opened up a shooting lane by moving laterally towards the middle and then stopping and taking a step back towards the outside.
Jack VanVolsen (C, L, 6’2″, 190, Sarnia Sting, 01/12/2006)
Game Rating
B
Viewed on TV
Comments: Jack puts himself in good positions and uses his strong one-timer to be an offensive threat. He scored a goal against Soo with a powerplay one-time goal on the backdoor. He also had two other one-timer attempts on the powerplay from the bumper position. He created a scoring chance on the rush early in the game as well with a nice pass across the midline on a 2v1 rush on the penalty-kill. He was not as noticeable on the defensive side of the puck. Jack puts himself in good positions to be an option and gets himself ready to use his dangerous one-timer. He disappeared at times in this game but then he would reappear and create a chance, often in a special teams situation.
James Barr (D, R, 6’1″, 185, Sarnia Sting, 06/01/2007)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: James is a puck-moving defenseman who quarterbacks the powerplay for his team and can be relied on to move the puck with good awareness. He skates with his head up which allows him to make good decisions with the puck on his stick. He distributed the puck well from up top of the umbrella on the powerplay. He played in the 5v3 and 4v3 powerplay situations as well and he took a shot on the 5v3, though he is more of a puck-mover than a shooter. James will also jump up into the rush and did so one time, driving the net and pulling the defense back with him. In the defensive zone he got bumped off of the puck behind the net once but his rush defense was strong. His smooth skating and footwork allows him to effectively defend rushes and shut down chances.
Ryan Brown (LW, L, 5’10”, 175, Sarnia Sting, 10/26/2007)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Ryan is a hard-working, two-way forward who makes an impact on the game whenever he is on the ice. He created a lot of chances for his team offensively but also backchecked hard and used his straight-line speed to disrupt on the penalty-kill forecheck. He handles the puck well and is willing to find low seams in the offensive zone to get the puck to the net. He had a quick snapshot off of a faceoff as well. He played on the powerplay and made a nice pass to the bumper for a chance. While on a 5v3 powerplay opportunity he took an unnecessary offensive-zone penalty and then argued with the referee and received a 10-minute misconduct. He had another penalty later in the game as well. He needs to work on keeping his emotions in check and staying out of the box as this will not be acceptable at the next level. On the forecheck he uses his body to win and protect pucks. He is able to play many roles for his team. With fewer penalty minutes his rating would be a B+.
Liam Beamish (F, L, 5’11”, 180, Sarnia Sting, 01/04/2007, Penn State)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Liam is a hard-working forward who pressures hard on the forecheck and drives to the net with speed when his team has the puck. He played an important role on the penalty-kill and his forechecking caused a lot of problems for Soo. He had one forecheck on the penalty-kill where he pinned the puck below the goal line in the offensive end and he held it there with four players working to take it from him. He scored a goal in the loss, going hard to the net and getting a rebound in front, fighting off a defenseman to get to the puck first. Although his best asset may be his work ethic, he showed he can make some crafty plays with the puck too. He cut across the goal crease and instead of trying to stuff it around the goalie, he slid it back to a teammate on the backdoor for a great chance. He is not afraid to be physical and will use his body to win and protect pucks.
Beckham Edwards (C, L, 6’1″, 176, Sarnia Sting, 01/06/2008, Notre Dame)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Beckham led the offensive charge for his team, using his straight-line speed to win races to pucks and generating a lot of offense both even-strength and on the powerplay. He tallied an assist in the game off of a flank shot on the powerplay that generated a rebound. He started the game off with an early chance on a rush where he received a pass and quickly shot the puck, underhandling it. He also had a couple of quality chances on the backdoor where he one-timed pucks. One of these one-timers forced the goalie to make a great save. He later used his good speed to separate from the defenders and get a breakaway chance where he deked to the backhand but the goalie once again saved it. In the final minutes of the game with the goalie pulled he had another scoring chance on a one-timer. In this game he showed how dangerous he is because of his combination of speed and ability to shoot quickly. Although he did not score any goals he created many chances and was a go-to player for Sarnia in powerplay and end-of-game situations. If he finishes more of these chances he could be a standout player in the league.
Landon Miller (G, L, 6’4″, 193, Soo Greyhounds, 01/03/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Landon played very well against Sarnia, showing size, good positioning, and ability to move laterally across the net. He did not have to make many saves in the first period but he was always ready when needed. As the game went on he faced more shots and chances, especially when his team was on the penalty-kill. He is fast to set his feet which makes him ready for shots. He had to make a few saves on breakaways where players deked but he remained calm and gave them nothing. He made one very notable save on a 3v5 penalty-kill where he had to slide across and stretch out to make a save on a backdoor one-timer. There were a few times where he wasn’t able to handle pucks on rims. Some of the rimmed pucks appeared to take weird bounces but a couple of them he mishandled. When he stopped pucks cleanly he made nice passes and was confident with the puck. He gave up two goals in the game, neither of which were his fault. The first one was a point shot that took a weird bounce off of the boards behind him and ended up in front and the opponent put the rebound in. The second goal was a backdoor one-timer on the powerplay where he had no chance.
Tate Vader (C, L, 5’11”, 190, Soo Greyhounds, 01/09/2006)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Tate, the fourth-line center, produced a few quality chances in the game against Sarnia. In his first shift of the game he had a chance on a rush where he shot short-side but the goalie was able to make the save. Later in the first period he scored a goal off of a broken play in the slot. He pulled the puck in towards his body and shot it just over the goalie’s leg pad with the help of some traffic in front. He had one other play where he tried a wrap around. He did not have the puck a lot in the game but he made the most of his fourth-line role and created some chances and scored a goal. In one of his shifts he took a shot that went high and wide of the net which made for an easy breakout for the other team.
Travis Hayes (RW, R, 5’11”, 175, Soo Greyhounds, 09/03/2007)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Travis pushes the pace every time he is on the ice and he contributes to his team in a variety of ways. He can win pucks with his physicality even though he is a bit undersized. He moves his feet and has some straight-line speed which allows him to be a threat on the forecheck and also with the puck on his stick. He showed solid puck-handling skills, smoothly kicking a pass from behind him with his skate up to his stick and entering the zone He made a nice pass on a zone entry, using his speed and attacking between two defenders and when they both came to him he slid it to his open teammate for a chance. Although he made some elite-level plays like this, he had a few too many turnovers. He sometimes forced passes which is something he will need to improve before playing at the next level. Travis played an important role on the penalty-kill, including the 3v5 penalty-kill. He had one miscommunication with a teammate in the neutral zone where he should have gone to get the puck but instead pulled up and waited for a teammate to get it. However, his teammate couldn’t get there in time and the opponent took the puck in for a quality scoring chance. Travis did seal the victory for his team with a good stick in the defensive zone, intercepting a pass and shooting the puck into the empty-net for the fifth goal.
Jakub Winkelhofer (D, L, 6’2″, 185, Soo Greyhounds, 01/12/2007)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Jakub defended well, keeping his stick on the puck, taking away shooting and passing lanes from the opponent. He used his body to protect the puck well. He scored a goal off of a one-timer slapshot from the top of the circles in the third period. Jakub took an undisciplined penalty while on the powerplay by spearing the opponent in front of the net after the whistle. He also needs to work on limiting his turnovers as he forced too many passes in all areas of the ice. He will be more impactful if he manages the puck better.
Quinn McKenzie (C, R, 5’8″, 151, Soo Greyhounds, 11/28/2007, Penn State)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Quinn is a physical player who has a great work ethic. He wins faceoffs and works hard to win pucks and cause turnovers. When he has the puck he is able to make plays. Early in the game he made a nice sauce pass into space behind the defenseman’s feet to a teammate, showing he is not just a grinder but can make plays too. He is undersized but uses his speed and physicality to be a presence. He played a role on the powerplay for his team as well. Quinn registered an assist in the game with a faceoff win back to a teammate on the circle for a quick-strike goal. When he has the puck he does a nice job of trying to get into the middle to be more dangerous and he had a few shots from dangerous areas including a play where he cut across the slot and shot. In the defensive zone he did have a play where he swiped at the puck and got beat leading to a scoring chance against.
Chase Reid (D, R, 6’2″, 186, Soo Greyhounds, 12/30/2007, Michigan State)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Chase is a dynamic offensive-defenseman. His good edge work and skating combined with his offensive instincts make him a dangerous player with the puck on his stick. His hard, accurate breakout passes are followed by him hustling up the ice to be involved in the rush. He is always involved in the rushes whether as a puck carrier, net-driver, or trailer. He scored a goal by jumping into the rush. Another part of Chases’s game that makes him dangerous is that he shoots with a purpose, putting pucks low on the net creating rebounds. He played as a flank on the powerplay and made good decisions about when to shoot and when to pass, making some nice ‘no-look’ passes across to the other flank. While defending rushes he had his stick on the puck and played the body well. His 2v1 rush play could use work as he got caught overplaying the strong-side giving up a pass across the midline which resulted in a chance against. He also took a penalty in front of the net where he was extra aggressive than necessary. Chase is a difference-maker at this level.
Ryan Kaczynski (C, L, 6’2″, 184, Soo Greyhounds, 07/08/2009)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Ryan is a skilled forward with good size. He is confident with the puck and will try to beat defenders with his strong puck-handling. Sometimes he gets into trouble relying too much on his hands in traffic situations where he doesn’t have room to make a play. He did have some nice pass ideas on zone entries but wasn’t consistently able to accurately execute these passes. He played on the flank on one of the powerplay units and he showed a quick-release shot from there but did not hit the net. He is a young rookie in the OHL but his skill will allow him to make an impact very quickly, especially if he learns when to use his hands and when to move the puck.
Noah Laus (F, L, 6’1″, 192, Soo Greyhounds, 02/10/2009)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Noah is a smart, play-making forward who also possesses a dangerous shot. He sees the ice very well, skating with his head up and making good decisions with the puck on his stick. He had multiple plays in the neutral zone where he realized there was no time and space and he made smart dumps into the zone instead of turning the puck over. He shoulder checks before he gets to pucks so he is aware of the situation before he has the puck. He scored his scored his first OHL goal on a quick-strike faceoff play where he skated behind the center, collected the puck and shot it high short side past the goalie. Noah also has good size and plays physical on the defensive side of the puck. In the defensive zone he blocked a shot by coming out to the point in the shooting lane. He plays on the powerplay where he was often the net-front player. He can work on making his feet quicker and making his skating more dynamic. If he improve his first few steps and his crossovers he will be even more of a threat. Late in the game he took a tripping penalty but it was necessary to prevent a breakaway chance so it was again another good read by him to understand the situation. He is a young rookie who showed lots of potential in this opening weekend.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images