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March 31, 2015

67's 6-2 loss in Niagara cuts series lead to one

The 67’s grip on their first round loosened a little Monday night as the Barberpoles fell 6-2 to the Niagara Ice Dogs in St. Catharines.

After game three, the series now sits at 2-1 for Ottawa, with game four in Niagara on Wednesday night.

Home ice has proven to be a major advantage so far, with the home teams putting up big points in their respective barns. A fact not unnoticed by 67’s head coach Jeff Brown.

“So far it’s been everything, right?” he said to reporters after game three.

In those three games, the home team has recorded 22 goals so far. The 67’s are responsible for 16 of them. But Monday was Niagara’s turn to put up big numbers.

Billy Jenkins opened up the scoring just 4:31 into the first period. Ottawa goaltender Liam Herbst made a few big saves before Jenkins blasted a rebound past him.

The Ice Dogs went on to score four more unanswered goals before Jeremiah Addison buried a power play goal 2:38 into the third period.

Less than four minutes later, Addison left the puck for Travis Konecny at the boards before skating in front of Niagara goalie Brandon Hope, tipping in Konecny’s shot making it 5-2 Ice Dogs. But it was too little too late.

Brown made the controversial decision to pull Leo Lazarev, who had relieved Herbst to start the third, with over five minutes remaining in the third.

Jenkins, an Ottawa native, wasted no time scoring his second of the game on the empty net making it 6-2 Niagara with 5:20 left to play in the game.

“Well analytics say to take him out at that time,” explained Brown after the game.

“We’ve got a face off in their end. We could set something up.”

Brown also said pulling Herbst in the third was the right choice, even if he doesn’t blame the goaltender for the loss.

“Herbst wasn’t bad tonight,” he said.

“It was just trying to shake the team up a little bit.”

Brown didn’t like the effort put forward by his team Monday night, and he has a clear message for them.

“I think it’s important that our guys understand that we were that bad,” he said.

“If you can’t play on the road in the playoffs, a lot of people are going to take notice.”

The head coach didn’t narrow down a specific area that needs improvement before game four.

“(There are) a lot of things we have to try and tidy up before Wednesday.”

Monday night’s loss guarantees a game five in Ottawa Friday night.


With interviews from Neate Sager (YahooSports) and AJ Jakubec (TSN 1200 Ottawa)

March 30, 2015

Game 3 preview: 67's face tough task taking on IceDogs at home

Just a week ago, if you were say that the Ottawa 67's would be up 2-0 in their series against the Niagara IceDogs, people may believe you.  But if you said that they would also outscore their opposition 16-7 through those two games, people would think you're crazy.

Photo: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com

That's the current situation for this first round matchup of the OHL playoffs. 

Through two games, the 67's have seen scoring from all 4 lines - including 7 different goal scorers in their 8-2 win on Saturday afternoon. 

Photo: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com

Dante Salituro leads the OHL in playoff scoring with 7 points in 2 games while three of his teammates follow closely. The 67's have 4 of the top 6 point getters at this early point in the post-season. Jeremiah Addison, Nevin Guy and Travis Konecny all sit tied at 3rd with 6 points each. 

Photo: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com

"It's been our mantra all year: whoever it is, chip in. We've had a lot of guys out in the lineup and other guys have stepped up," Jeff Brown told us after the game on Saturday. "We have a lot of guys who are just good character guys playing hard for one another right now."

Not only are the skaters excelling, but the 67's also saw better goaltending from Liam Hersbt between the pipes. After allowing 5 goals on 30 shots in the first game (including 2 in the third period), Hersbt and the blueline tightened up defensively only allowing 2 goals to get through. Herbst improved his save percentage from 0.833 to 0.917 in the last game. 

As the series shifts to St. Catharines on Monday night, the 67's will need to continue to see strong goaltending as there is no doubt that the IceDogs will come out firing at all cylinders in front of a boisterous home crowd. 

"They're coming hard. I can't stress enough they've lost one game in the three months there (at home)," said coach Brown aware of how tough playing in Niagara can be. 

The IceDogs have only lost once at home since the new year and that was against Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters. The 67's only played the IceDogs once at home since the new year and it was a 8-3 loss.  

"This isn't going to be any easy chore but we feel like we have the confidence," added coach Brown. "We found some things and hopefully we can do it on the road now."

67’s Keys to Victory
  • Stay humble: up 2-0 in the series, but know that we have yet to see the IceDogs at their potential. 
  • Play simple hockey: shovel everything to the net instead of setting up the pretty play. 
  • Don't let Niagara take advantage of last change. 
  • Match their speed through the neutral zone. 

IceDogs’ Keys to Victory
  • Improve specialty teams: they allowed 3 powerplay goals on 4 opportunities and only capitalized once in 6 chances on their own powerplay. 
  • Better play in own end: allowing 16 goals in the first two games is not acceptable. IceDogs can't allow as many chance to get through and they also need to get good goaltending
  • Play disciplined: 67's were able to get under the IceDogs skin as the focus turned to retribution on Trent Mallette instead of playing hockey on Saturday afternoon.
  • Line-matching: Take advantage of home ice. Try to get top line away from Ottawa's top pairing. Lintuniemi and Middleton have done a great job of shutting them down. 
Despite changing their lines 30-seconds into the opening frame of the first playoff game, the IceDogs kept their lines intact for the majority of game 2. 

If you compare the lines from Thursday to Saturday, you can see that Niagara's lines are almost completely different. Saturday's lines were more comparable to what IceDogs fans saw all season. 

Here’s a look at Saturday afternoon's lineups:

Ottawa 67’s


Brendan Bell – Nathan Todd – Travis Konecny
Jeremiah Addison – Sam Studnicka – Dante Salituro
Connor Graham – Curtis Meighan – Trent Mallette
Adam Craievich – Travis Barron – Ben Fanjoy

Jake Middleton – Alex Lintuniemi
Nevin Guy – Evan de Haan
Zack Pittman – Taylor Davis

Liam Herbst

Scratched
Brandon Lukezic
Ryan Orban
Mike Vlajkov
Dylan McDonald 

Niagara IceDogs

Brendan Perlini – Carter Verhaeghe – Billy Jenkins
Mitchell Fitzmorris  – Jordan Maletta – Josh Ho-Sang
Anthony DiFruscia – Mikkel Aagaard – Graham Knott
Johnny Corneil – Christopher Paquette – Cody Payne

Vince Dunn – Aaron Haydon
Blake Siebenaler – Ryan Mantha
Zach Wilkie – Brian Brosnan

Brandon Hope

Scratched
Matt Gillard 
Jonathan Schaefer
Aleksandar Mikulovich

The series shifts back to St. Catharine's as the Niagara IceDogs host the 67's at the new Meridian Centre. The puck drops at 7pm.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Ottawa:
Goals For- 16
Goals Against- 7

Niagara:
Goals For- 7
Goals Against- 16

Specialty teams

Ottawa:
PP- 33.3% (T 3rd in league) *was 12th
PK- 66.7% (T 11th in league) *was 16th

Niagara:
PP- 33.3% (T 3rd in league) *was 1st
PK- 66.7% (T 11th in league) *was 5th

Top performers



Ottawa:
  • Dante Salituro- 4 goals, 7 points in 2 games
  • Jeremiah Addison- 3 goals, 6 points in 2 games
  • Nevin Guy- 1 goal, 6 points in 2 games
  • Travis Konecny- 1 goal, 6 points in 2 games

Niagara:
  • Vince Dunn- 4 goals, 5 points in 2 games
  • Brendan Perlini- 1 goal, 2 points in 2 games
  • Josh Ho-Sang- 0 goals, 2 points in 2 games
NHL Draft Picks


Ottawa:
  • Alex Lintuniemi – Los Angeles Kings (2nd round, 2014)
  • Jacob Middleton – Los Angeles Kings (7th round, 2014)
  • Travis Konecny – ranked #26 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Jeremiah Addison – ranked #127 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Dante Salituro – ranked #145 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Liam Herbst – ranked #14 of North American Goalies in CSS’ Midterm rankings
Niagara:
  • Brendan Perlini – Arizona Coyotes (1st round, 2014)
  • Josh Ho-Sang – New York Islanders (1st round, 2014)
  • Carter Verhaeghe – Toronto Maple Leafs (3rd round, 2013)
  • Blake Siebenaler – Columbus Blue Jackets (3rd round, 2014)
  • Brent Moran – Dallas Stars (4th round, 2014)
  • Ryan Mantha – New York Rangers (4th round, 2014)
  • Cody Payne – Boston Bruins (5th round, 2012)
  • Aaron Haydon – Dallas Stars (6th round, 2014)
  • Vince Dunn – ranked #53 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Graham Knott – ranked #54 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
Ottawa connections
  • Brent Moran – Orleans native
  • Billy Jenkins – Ottawa native
Schedule

Game 1 - Thu Mar 26 7:00 PM Niagara 5 at Ottawa 8
Game 2 - Sat Mar 28 1:00 PM Niagara 2 at Ottawa 8

Game 3 - Mon Mar 30 7:00 PM Ottawa at Niagara
Game 4 - Wed Apr 1 7:00 PM Ottawa at Niagara
Game 5 - Fri Apr 3 7:30 PM * Niagara at Ottawa
Game 6 - Sun Apr 5 2:00 PM * Ottawa at Niagara
Game 7 - Tue Apr 7 7:00 PM * Niagara at Ottawa
*if necessary

March 28, 2015

67's see offense from all lines, go up 2-0 in series vs IceDogs

Ottawa hockey fans were treated to another wild playoff game between the Ottawa 67’s and Niagara IceDogs on Saturday afternoon. Nevin Guy posted a five-point night as the 67’s skated to an 8-2 win in front of a home crowd of 3,353.


Photo: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com

67's get set for game 2: Game Preview

The opening game of the 2015 OHL Playoffs was a wild one. The Niagara IceDogs came into TD Place as the arguable favourites to win the series. Many counted the Ottawa 67’s out due to lack of experience and combined with the IceDogs offensive surge in the second half of the season. The 67’s earned back some of that respect Thursday night to open the series with a big 8-5 win.


Photo: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com


Dante Salituro led the team in scoring with a 5-point night, but it was Jeremiah Addison’s play and attitude that was even more impressive. Addison scored two third period insurance goals and added an assist on a Salituro empty net goal displaying his unselfishness that is sure to go noticed by the several scouts in attendance.

“He was open. Its playoff hockey, the goal's not just to get points. If I'm blessed enough to get points, I get points. The goal is to win and we were able to do that today,“ said Addison who also added a fight for the Gordie Howe Hat-Trick.


The 67’s opened the scoring with two quick goals in the first 5 minutes but the IceDogs responded with three unanswered goals into a second period that didn’t see the 67’s at their best. The home team responded with another quick three goals to open the final frame. The IceDogs did not back down but came up too short in the end.

“The message for long time we need to play a full 60 minutes. We didn't tonight and we saw them just take over for a while there. Thank god we had (Herbst) back there,” said 67’s head coach Jeff Brown who is aware that his team did not play a perfect game.


The 67’s will need to not just focus on shutting down the likes of Carter Verhaeghe, Josh Ho-Sang and Brendan Perlini but also, offensive defenseman, Vince Dunn who scored 4 goals for his Niagara IceDogs.

“We've got to tighten up in the defensive zone, make sure they don't get an opportunity. They're talented team they can score. Got to be able to go out and close(the game) out,” said Jeremiah Addison.


The 67’s did not do well in the specialty team column. The 67’s were ranked 2nd in the league on the PK, but allowed 2-for-3. They didn’t fare much better on the powerplay going only 1-for-8 on the night. Alternatively, the IceDogs specialty teams were better on paper. The 67’s will need to make sure to stay out of the box and capitalize on their opportunities if they want to continue to see success.

67’s Keys to Victory
  • Specialty teams need to be better
  • Play a full 60-minutes
  • Get big saves from the goaltending

IceDogs’ Keys to Victory
  • Best players need to be their best player
  • Stay out of the box, stay disciplined
  • Get big saves from the goaltending
Here’s a look at Thursday night's lineups:
Ottawa 67’s

Brendan Bell – Nathan Todd – Travis Konecny
Jeremiah Addison – Sam Studnicka – Dante Salituro
Connor Graham – Curtis Meighan – Trent Mallette
Adam Craievich – Travis Barron – Ben Fanjoy
Jake Middleton – Alex Lintuniemi
Nevin Guy – Evan de Haan
Zack Pittman – Taylor Davis
Liam Herbst

Scratched
  • Brandon Lukezic
  • Ryan Orban
  • Mike Vlajkov
  • Dylan McDonald 
Niagara IceDogs
Brendan Perlini – Carter Verhaeghe – Josh Ho-Sang
Mikkel Aagaard – Anthony DiFruscia – Matt Gillard
Billy Jenkins – Jordan Maletta – Cody Payne
Johnny Corneil – Graham Knott – Mitchell Fitzmorris
Blake Siebenaler – Brian Brosnan
Vince Dunn – Ryan Mantha
Zach Wilkie – Aaron Haydon
Brandon Hope

Scratched
  • Christopher Paquette
  • Jonathan Schaefer
  • Aleksandar Mikulovich
Of course, those were just the lines on paper. Following the first thirty seconds into the game, Marty Williamson juggled his lines pulling Ho-Sang off the top line. But 67’s head coach Jeff Brown didn’t look too much into that.

“ I think they were kind of playing games a little bit, like their lineup they gave us before the game was not even close to it was,” he said. “So, that's alright. If (Eastwood) and I aren't good enough to adjust, we shouldn't be coaching here.”


One line that was not affected was Ottawa’s newly formed second line of Addison-Studnicka-Salituro. Brown spoke about restructuring their lines with Konecny missing for the last couple weekends. He discussed that Salituro enjoyed playing on the wing.

“Put a guy like Studnicka who's so good defensively with Addison and Salituro, it kind of frees them up to be a little bit more creative offensively,” Brown added. “It was a good line I thought for us (Thursday night).”


The 67’s host the IceDogs for game 2 of the best-of-seven series this afternoon. The puck drops at 1pm.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Ottawa:
Goals For- 8
Goals Against- 5

Niagara:
Goals For- 5
Goals Against- 8

Specialty teams

Ottawa:
PP- 12.5% (12th in league)
PK- 33.3% (16th in league)

Niagara:
PP- 66.7% (1st in league)
PK- 87.5% (5th in league)

Top performers

Ottawa:
  • Dante Salituro- 2 goals, 5 points in 1 game
  • Jeremiah Addison- 2 goals, 4 points in 1 game
  • Sam Studnicka- 1 goal, 3 points in 1 game
Niagara:
  • Vince Dunn- 4 goals, 4 points in 1 game
  • Jordan Maletta- 1 goal, 1 point in 1 game

NHL Draft Picks

Ottawa:
  • Alex Lintuniemi – Los Angeles Kings (2nd round, 2014)
  • Jacob Middleton – Los Angeles Kings (7th round, 2014)
  • Travis Konecny – ranked #26 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Jeremiah Addison – ranked #127 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Dante Salituro – ranked #145 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Liam Herbst – ranked #14 of North American Goalies in CSS’ Midterm rankings

Niagara:
  • Bredan Perlini – Arizona Coyotes (1st round, 2014)
  • Josh Ho-Sang – New York Islanders (1st round, 2014)Carter Verhaeghe – Toronto Maple Leafs (3rd round, 2013)
  • Blake Siebenaler – Columbus Blue Jackets (3rd round, 2014)
  • Brent Moran – Dallas Stars (4th round, 2014)
  • Ryan Mantha – New York Rangers (4th round, 2014)
  • Cody Payne – Boston Bruins (5th round, 2012)
  • Aaron Haydon – Dallas Stars (6th round, 2014)
  • Vince Dunn – ranked #53 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings
  • Graham Knott – ranked #54 of North American Skaters in CSS’ Midterm rankings

Ottawa connections
  • Brent Moran – Orleans native
  • Billy Jenkins – Ottawa native

Schedule

Game 1 - Thu Mar 26 7:00 PM Niagara at Ottawa
Game 2 - Sat Mar 28 1:00 PM Niagara at Ottawa
Game 3 - Mon Mar 30 7:00 PM Ottawa at Niagara
Game 4 - Wed Apr 1 7:00 PM Ottawa at Niagara
Game 5 - Fri Apr 3 7:30 PM * Niagara at Ottawa
Game 6 - Sun Apr 5 2:00 PM * Ottawa at Niagara
Game 7 - Tue Apr 7 7:00 PM * Niagara at Ottawa
*if necessary

March 27, 2015

Game 1 Round 1: 67's Win Barn-burner

Ottawa leads series 1-0

For all the talk around the OHL community about how the Niagara IceDogs were favoured; especially if it turns into a run-and-gun series, the 67's defied that on Thursday night.

67's vs IceDogs: A new season begins

It’s April 27, 2012 and Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli, Cody Ceci and Petr Mrazek played the last game of the season – the Ottawa 67’s fell 3-2 to the Niagara IceDogs eliminating them from playoff contention in 5 games during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Mark that as the last time any 67’s player saw the post-season – until now.

Fast forward 1063 days to today, the 67’s will finally embark on another playoff run. For most, it’s a new experience – but for one, it feels like an eternity.

March 22, 2015

67's Clinch Home Ice In Cakewalk Over Sudbury

The Ottawa 67’s ended Paul Fixter’s tenure as coach in Sudbury with a 7-0 win this year and on Sunday, they took out the Wolves again, ending the franchise’s worst season since 1968. 

March 20, 2015

One step closer to home-ice advantage as 67's sink Petes 6-2

It’s warming up outside and the playoffs are just around the corner. While the Ottawa 67’s have secured their first playoff spot in three years, they now look to clinch home ice advantage.
 
Photo credit: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com

March 19, 2015

Home Ice Hanging In The Balance; 67's Lose to Battalion

The North Bay Battalion took a 5-2 decision over the 67’s on Thursday, sealing the season series tiebreaker and in doing so, all but guaranteeing third place and ensuring the Barberpoles a first-round meeting with Niagara.

March 15, 2015

Last Trip To Bellevegas Victorious

The 67’s are losing one of their biggest playoff rivals at season’s end, but they had enough time for one parting shot at the Bulls in their final visit to Belleville. 

March 13, 2015

67's snap 4 game winless drought with big 2-1 win against top team in the CHL

Dante Salituro scored a pair of goals as the Ottawa 67’s beat the Oshawa Generals 2-1 in regulation snapping a 4-game winless streak.


Photo credit: Robert Lefebvre / www.icelevel.com


March 08, 2015

67's fall 3-2 to Steelheads in third loss in as many days

The Ottawa 67’s wrapped up a tough weekend with their third loss in two and a half days on Sunday.

The Barberpoles fell 3-2 to the Mississauga Steelheads, despite registering 38 shots on Mississauga goaltender Cameron Zanussi, the game’s third star.

Steelheads’ Bryson Cianfrone’s two assists earned him second star, and Thomas Lattavo was awarded first for his game-winning goal.

Despite the loss, Travis Konecny was a force to be reckoned with, assisting on the 67’s first goal and scoring the second, his 29th of the season, on a wraparound in the second period.

The Ottawa captain left the ice midway through the third period after a hit by Steelheads’ Brandon Devlin left him falling awkwardly into the boards. Konecny left the ice unassisted, but did not return. No word yet on his injury.

The Steelheads took the lead just 6:05 into the game when Stefan LeBlanc blasted a shot over Leo Lazarev’s blocker.

The 67’s managed to tie it up about three and a half minutes later on a quick wrist shot by Brendan Bell.

Ottawa’s Zack Pittman took a cross-checking penalty with 7:54 left in the first. It took the Steelheads just 29 seconds on the powerplay to regain the lead on a goal by Devlin.

Konecny’s goal 12:12 into the second period tied the score 2-2. It stayed that way until Lavatto’s game-winning goal with just 4:14 left in the game.

Ottawa head coach Jeff Brown pulled Lazarev late in the game for the extra attacker, a move not noticed right away by officials who called the 67’s for too many men on the ice when the sixth player was noticed.

After some discussion and a heated conversation with Brown, the officials called back the penalty. But it was too little too late for the 67’s.

They wrap up a three-game weekend having been outscored 17 to 10.


The 67’s, who sit in fourth in the Eastern Conference, will play the first place Oshawa Generals next Friday, March 13 in Ottawa at TD Stadium, one of just five games remaining in the regular season.  

March 07, 2015

67's drop second straight game with loss in Niagara

If it's at all up to them, the Ottawa 67's may want to avoid facing the Niagara IceDogs in the post-season. Despite coming in with a 3-0 head-to-head record against the IceDogs, the 67's were unable to contain them tonight. 

March 06, 2015

Blocked Empty Netter Sets Up 67's Heartbreaking Blown Lead

Travis Konecny was only fourteen years old and still watching the London Knights last time the 67’s beat London on home ice, and he should have been an instrumental part of breaking that streak.

Instead, he ended up on the short end of a game-changing play that allowed the visitors to tie it in the final minute.

March 05, 2015

67's Booster Club hands out 2014-15 Awards

In the midst of a run for home-ice advantage in the 2015 OHL playoffs, the Ottawa 67's took a well-deserved break. Players, Ottawa 67's Booster Club members and fans gathered for the Booster Club's Year-End Banquet earlier this week.

The annual event was held at the RA Centre on Monday evening and celebrated individual accomplishments from the current OHL season. Booster Club members voted for the winners of 4 different trophies while members of CTV/Bell Media with the 67's coaching staff as consultants decided on 3. One special trophy was voted on by the players.


First year Captain, Travis Konecny stole the show walking away with 3 of the 8 awards including one repeat from last season.

Tallying approximately 13% of team scoring so far this season, Travis Konecny was voted the Best Offensive Player for the second consecutive season. A good argument could be made for sophomore forward and fellow 2015 NHL draft prospect Dante Salituro who leads the team with 35 goals and 70 points.


Konecny, who had focused a lot on his 200-foot game this season, was rewarded for his efforts being voted the Best Two-Way Player. In his first season as head coach, Jeff Brown put an emphasis on his team's play without the puck. Konency's two-way game will become another asset as he looks to close out his draft season on a high note. Konecny rounded out his hardware winnings with the Fan Favourite Award, a highly coveted trophy selected by the Booster Club members.


Next to Konecny & Brendan Bell, Sam Studnicka has emerged as one of the team's leaders. Studnicka was awarded the Brian Kilrea trophy - a trophy voted on by the players. Coach Brown has spoken passionately on Studnicka's work ethic & character all season and it is clear that his peers feel the same way.


On the same note, Studnicka was also awarded the TSN 1200's Hardest Working Player Award.


Other award winners included L.A. Kings' prospect Alex Lintuniemi took home the Best Defenseman award. He leads all 67's defenseman in scoring with 31 points in 52 games and has logged a lot of ice time in various key situations.


Brendan Bell took home the Smitty Salute trophy. It is awarded to the player that best exemplifies Brian Smith's sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Smith was a former NHLer & a popular sportscaster working for CTV in Ottawa. His death was tragic and this award honours him. The award was presented by the media.


The Rookie of the Year trophy was awarded to Travis Barron who leads the team's rookies with 19 points in 56 games. He has earned his place on the top line along side Travis Konecny & Nathan Todd. The rookie of the year trophy is also awarded by the media & is named after the late Bill Patterson - another popular CTV broadcaster who passed away suddenly following a heart attack in 2008.


The players will switch their focus back to the playoff run as they get set to host Max Domi, Mitch Marner and the London Knights on Friday. A big test for the 67's who look to get back on a winning streak.

Full list of winners
  • Best Two-Way Player:  Travis Konecny
  • Best Defenseman:  Alex Lintuniemi
  • Best Offensive Player:  Travis Konecny
  • Brian Kilrea Player's Choice Award:  Sam Studnicka
  • Booster Club Fan Favourite:  Travis Konecny
  • The Smitty Salute Award:  Brendan Bell
  • Rookie of the Year (in Memory of Bill Patterson):  Travis Barron
  • TSN 1200 Hardest Working Player:  Sam Studnicka