DiVincentiis feted again
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Dom DiVincentiis of the North Bay Battalion has been named the Ontario Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Week for a second straight time, for the period ended Sunday, the league has announced.
DiVincentiis, who allowed one goal in a 4-1 home-ice victory over the Owen Sound Attack last Wednesday night, recorded North Bay’s second consecutive shutout with 27 saves in a 4-0 win Sunday over the visiting London Knights. He stopped 63 of 64 shots in two games for a .984 save percentage.
The London blanking, DiVincentiis’s fourth of the season and second in three games, gave the Battalion four shutouts in its last five games, as partner Charlie Robertson whitewashed the host Oshawa Generals 3-0 Friday night.
DiVincentiis allowed a goal to Owen Sound’s Antonio Tersigni, his first of the season, at 5:53 of the third period, with the Troops now having put together a shutout streak of 134:07. A pair of shutouts, by DiVincentiis against the host Mississauga Steelheads and by Robertson against the visiting Niagara IceDogs, helped generate a streak of 200:30 before the Tersigni goal.
Rookie Robertson has three shutouts, giving the Battalion a total of seven, tying the most in the North Bay era, set in 2014-15, and one short of the franchise record established in 2008-09 when the club played in Brampton.
DiVincentiis, who also was recognized as Goaltender of the Week for the period ended Dec. 4 for a total of three such honours this season, was named Goaltender of the Month for January.
The Battalion, riding a six-game winning streak, has a won-lost-extended record of 43-17-3 for 89 points, first in the Central Division and second in the Eastern Conference and league.
“With team success comes individual success,” said general manager Adam Dennis. “Our staff has been preaching it all year, and we have another accolade as a result.
“Dom was exceptional again this weekend, as was Charlie, but I felt the entire team really buckled down and made it easier for Dom to take care of business.”
In 46 games, DiVincentiis has a record of 34-9-2 with a goals-against average of 2.36 and a save percentage of .918, both of which are league-leading. His 34 wins, a single-season franchise record, also lead the OHL.
Last season, DiVincentiis went 14-8-1 with a 2.59 GAA and a .907 save percentage, winning the F.W. (Dinty) Moore Trophy for the best GAA among rookies, before the Winnipeg Jets chose him in the seventh round of the National Hockey League Draft in July.
The Battalion tabbed DiVincentiis, a Toronto native who turned 19 on March 4, in the sixth round of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Vaughan Kings minor midgets.
