The Oshawa FireWolves closed their season on a high note, defeating the Buffalo Bandits 12-8 at the Tribute Communities Centre on Saturday. Alex Simmons powered the FireWolves' offense with a game-high seven points.
Dawson Theede recorded a six-point night for Oshawa (6-12). Tye Kurtz added two goals and three assists, while goalie Doug Jamieson made 44 saves. Will Johansen, Patrick Kaschalk, Ryan Benesch, Ethan Walker, Taggart Clark and Dyson Williams also scored for the FireWolves.
For the playoff-bound Bandits (11-7), Dhane Smith led the team with six points. Joe Resetarits scored a hat trick, and Josh Byrne contributed two goals and three assists. Goalie Matt Vinc made 36 saves in the loss.
The contest was physical from the start and boiled over multiple times, particularly in the final minutes.
Oshawa stunned Buffalo by racing out to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter before the Bandits stormed back with four unanswered goals to make it 7-4 at halftime. The FireWolves regained control in the second half, never letting their lead slip below three goals. The game's intensity culminated in a line brawl with 15 seconds remaining, resulting in misconducts for Oshawa's Kaschalk and Buffalo's Ian MacKay. FireWolves forward Emerson Clark was ejected earlier in the game after receiving a game misconduct in the fourth quarter.
The game was played on an emotional "Tucker out lymphoma night," honoring Tucker Williams, the late brother of FireWolves forward Dyson Williams.
ESPN Generative AI Services creates recaps from event data and/or transcripts that are reviewed by human editors before posting; email support@espncustomercare.com for corrections.
