BUFFALO – Pat Egan had a big offensive game, scoring two goals and contributing one assist in the Buffalo Jr. Sabres’ 7-2 win over the Mississauga Chargers in Game Two of their first-round OJHL Playoff series at the First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo.
It was the second consecutive playoff game hosted by Buffalo after a broken down Zamboni forced the postponement of what was supposed to be Game Two in Mississauga.
Egan’s tallies came at 6:13 into the first period to make the score 1-0 Buffalo and 9:52 into the second to make the score 5-0 Buffalo.
The win gave Buffalo a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.
The Jr. Sabres forced Chargers’ goalies to work in net, firing 37 shots and forcing 30 saves. Austin Washkurak made 19 stops and Alex Lepore made 11. Buffalo stifled Mississauga’s power play, and did not give up a single goal while down a man.
Buffalo additionally got points from Max Mikowski, who also had one goal and one assist and Tim Kielich, who also registered two goals and one assist. Others who scored for Buffalo included Michael Ederer and Nolan Sheeran, who scored one goal each. Other players who recorded assists for Buffalo were Michael Faliero, who had one, Ben Casale, who had three, and Dennis Gilbert, Ryan Schmelzer, and Josh Gabriel, who each chipped in two.
The Chargers forced the Jr. Sabres goalie Joseph Pianta to work between the pipes, taking 31 shots.
Mississauga was led by Trevor Warnaar, who registered two goals. Warnaar scored the first of his two goals at 4:14 into the third period to make the score 6-1 Buffalo. Mitch Mehling picked up the assist. Warnaar’s next tally made the score 7-2 Buffalo with 3:45 left in the third period. Lucas Venuto provided the assist.
Buffalo’s Pianta stopped 29 shots out of the 31 that he faced.
Game Three of the series will be held Wednesday at Port Credit Arena in Mississauga, with Buffalo hosting Game Four at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo on Thursday.
* * *
Photo: Ben Casale, who had three assists in Sunday’s 7-02 win in Game Two. Courtesy Ken Czworka, OJHL Images.
