The Soo U18 Greyhounds will look to get back on track and build momentum as they open the month of October with a challenging four-game road trip against the New Liskeard Cubs and North Bay U18 Trappers from October 2nd to 4th. After a difficult weekend at home, where the Greyhounds managed just one win in three games against the visiting Sudbury U18 Wolves from September 24 to 26 in Sault Ste. Marie, the team will have an opportunity to regroup and get back into the win column against two Northern Ontario opponents.
The Greyhounds will begin their road trip on Friday, October 2, when they travel to New Liskeard to take on the Cubs in an 8:00 p.m matchup. The two teams will meet again on Saturday, October 3, with an 11:00 a.m start before the Greyhounds head south to face the North Bay U18 Trappers later that evening.
The Greyhounds and Trappers will meet Saturday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m in North Bay before wrapping up the four-game weekend on Sunday, October 4, with a 10:30 a.m matchup in Powassan.
With four games scheduled over three days, the road trip will present a demanding test for the Greyhounds as they look to maintain their position in the standings while facing two teams that have opened the season with strong results.
The Greyhounds enter the weekend sitting third in the standings with a 4-2 record, while the New Liskeard Cubs are fourth at 3-1. The North Bay U18 Trappers currently occupy first place with a 5-1 record, setting up an important early-season challenge for the Soo against the league’s top team.
Despite their recent struggles against Sudbury, the Greyhounds have demonstrated plenty of offensive production through the opening weeks of the season. Six Soo forwards are currently ranked among the top ten in league scoring, giving the team several offensive options heading into a busy weekend.
Leading the Greyhounds offensively is Nico Bossio, who sits third overall in league scoring with 12 points in six games. Bossio has recorded five goals and seven assists, providing consistent production at both ends of the offensive attack.
Finlay Escasa is tied with Bossio at 12 points, also collecting five goals and seven assists in six games to sit fourth in league scoring. Jasper Jarratt has made an immediate impact in limited action, recording five goals and five assists for 10 points in just four games to rank fifth overall.
Lukas Maninos sits sixth in league scoring with 10 points in four games, including four goals and six assists. Jayden Fisher-Ruck has also been a key contributor for the Greyhounds, ranking eighth overall with six goals and three assists for nine points in four games. Rocco Dos Reis rounds out the Soo’s six forwards in the top ten, sitting ninth with four goals and five assists for nine points in six games.
Between the pipes, Benjamin Clayton has handled the majority of the goaltending duties for the Greyhounds, appearing in three games and posting a 2-1 record. Clayton has allowed 11 goals while maintaining a 3.69 goals-against average. Lucas Martin has appeared in one game, recording an overtime loss while allowing five goals and posting a 4.93 goals-against average.
The Greyhounds will need contributions throughout their lineup as they prepare for a demanding stretch of games, particularly against a North Bay Trappers team that has started the season with five wins in six games. With the Trappers currently leading the standings, the two-game series will provide the Soo with an opportunity to measure itself against one of the league’s top teams.
The opening two games against New Liskeard will also be important for the Greyhounds as they look to establish momentum before taking on North Bay. The Cubs enter the weekend with a 3-1 record and sit just behind the Greyhounds in the standings, making the two matchups significant in the early-season race.
With six forwards producing at a top-ten scoring pace, the Greyhounds have shown they can generate offence from multiple players. The challenge over the upcoming weekend will be carrying that production onto the road, maintaining defensive consistency and getting strong performances from their goaltenders throughout four games in three days.
The Soo U18 Greyhounds will have little time to recover between matchups, but a successful road trip could provide an important boost as the team continues its October schedule. With games against the fourth-place Cubs and first-place Trappers, the Greyhounds will have an early opportunity to make a statement in the standings and build on their 4-2 start to the season.
