Greyhounds overcome deficits in win (update)

GUELPH, ONT. -- Battling back from deficits is something the Soo Greyhounds have done this season.

The Greyhounds did it again on Sunday afternoon as they beat the Guelph Storm 6-5 in a shootout at the Sleeman Centre.

"It means that we weren't playing very well," Greyhounds Coach Sheldon Keefe said of overcoming 4-1 and 5-3 deficits in the win. "That seems to be the party line whenever anybody comes back is that it was a character win.

"I was just happy that we did it," Keefe added. "I don't think there's any grand message in it. I was just happy we stuck with it. We never should have been in that position to begin with."

Brandon Halverson made 27 saves and stopped two of Guelph's three shooters in the shootout.

"He was fine," Keefe said of Halverson. "We can defend a lot better on all five goals. "Anytime a goalie gives up five goals, I don't think they, or we, should be happy with it but he battled. I didn't think any (goals) he let in we're soft goals."

Sergey Tolchinsky had the shootout winner for the Greyhounds and added three assists in the win.

Jared McCann had two goals and an assist for the Greyhounds. Michael Bunting also scored a pair of goals in the win. Blake Speers had the other Greyhounds goal in the shootout.  Jean Dupuy also scored for the Greyhounds.  Darnell Nurse set up a pair of goals.

In the game, the Greyhounds lost the services of forward Nick Ritchie after a hit on Guelph defenceman Zac Leslie in the Guelph zone. Ritchie was given a major penalty for checking to the head on the play.

Keefe didn't agree with the penalty on the hit.

"My hope would be that they (the league) would look at it and see that there was referee error on that one," Keefe said.

Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and two assists and had the lone shootout goal for Guelph in the loss. Jason Dickinson added a goal and an assist for the Storm. Leslie and Givani Smith also scored in the loss.

Rookie netminder Bradley Van Schubert stopped 38 shots for Guelph.

With the win, the Greyhounds improve to 35-9-0-2. Guelph falls to 26-17-2-1 with the loss.

The Greyhounds are back in action on Friday night when they host the North Bay Battalion in a 7:07 puck drop. The following night, the Greyhounds host the Mississauga Steelheads.