Storm send slumping Hounds into break with a loss

The Christmas break couldn't come soon enough for the Soo Greyhounds as the team remains mired in a slump.

Playing their last game before the players head home for the holiday break, the Soo Greyhounds dropped their second straight contest and eight of their last nine with a 5-2 loss to the Guelph Storm on Friday night in Ontario Hockey League action in Guelph.

The Storm, the top team in the OHL, stung the Greyhounds with three consecutive goals on the power play and cruised into the third period with a 4-0 lead.

Ryan Callahan led the Storm attack with three goals while singles went to Ryan Garlock and Daniel Girardi. Echo Bay's Niko Tuomi along with Martin St. Pierre added three assists each while former Greyhound Brett Trudell added two assists.

Colt King led the Greyhounds with his sixth goal of the season short handed before adding an assist on Jeff Doyle's 13th goal of the season.

Kevin Druce stopped 39 of 44 shots in net for the Greyhounds while the team could only muster 23 shots on Guelph's Danny Taylor.

The loss drops the Hounds, who have played three more games than any other team thus far, to two games below .500 at 17-19-1-1.

The team will now enjoy an eight day layoff before returning home to begin a stretch of five games, four of which at home, in eight days.

The Hounds, who play six of their next seven at home, battle the Sarnia Sting on Sunday, December 28th before entertaining the Saginaw Spirit two nights later. Saginaw and the Hounds then return to action a day later on New Year's Eve in Saginaw.

In other OHL action on Friday, David Bolland and Scott Sheppard scored twice each as London beat Windsor 8-4. Former Soo Thunderbird Nathan O'Nabigon scored the overtime winner as Kitchener edged Sudbury 4-3.

Justin Dacosta scored the winner on the power play as Owen Sound nipped Saginaw 3-2, Chad Painchaud recorded the winner as Mississauga clipped Erie 2-1 while Cody Thornton's goal and assist paced Belleville past Toronto 3-2.

Elsewhere, Kingston edged Barrie 3-2, Sarnia and Ottawa played to a 3-3 tie while Chris Hulit scored once for Oshawa in a 2-2 tie with Brampton.

*** WEBER ON THE MOVE: Former Greyhound Jeff Weber has found another new home as the Plymouth Whalers dealt the goaltender to the Barrie Colts on Friday for a fourth round pick in the 2006 OHL draft.