Otters Emergency Goalie Credited with Heroics

Photo: St. Catherines Standard

With the season already being washed away, the young OHL Erie Otters players now look for a sign of better times ahead. Connor Crisp is a young player in that system that many hockey fans who don't follow the OHL or Erie Otters have never heard of - until yesterday. On Sunday March 4, the young developing OHL player had to make an emergency appearance in goal.

"Well, I'm a road hockey goalie, ball hockey goalie, but that's the first time I've put on goalie equipment and played on ice since I was five years old," Crisp told the Canadian Press.

Injuries to both regular goalies Ramis Sadikov and Devin Williams had left the team in a bind to replace both of them. It was as if the young Connor Crisp drew the short straw and donned the pads as they visited the Gatorade Garden City Complex. Sadikov was pulled after the first 2 minutes of the game to injury.

"My feet are still cramped, I can hardly walk right now," Crisp said in a Canadian Press article. "Rammer's skates were three times too small and not wide enough, that's probably why I couldn't skate."

But when the Niagra Ice Dogs salivated at the chance to pad their stats, it still didn't overtake the Crisp goaltending story. Crisp was awarded the 1st star of the game despite being shelled for 13 goals in the loss.

The 13 goals against set a franchise record.

Even though the Otters did their best in the first period earning themselves a 3-2 lead against the division leading Ice Dogs, the Otters hopes were buried in the second and third periods.

Perhaps it can't get any lower for the Erie franchise.

[Via: Erie Times-News @ GoErie.com]