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Rookie goaltender continues to make his mark for Guelph Storm

Jacob Oster backstops the Storm to a 4-2 win over the Kitchener Rangers

Jacob Oster was keeping it in the family after Sunday’s big 4-2 win over the Kitchener Rangers.

Asked who he models his game after, the Guelph Storm rookie goaltender, fresh off his third victory of the season, pointed to a guy whose name is among the list of alumni printed on the wall over his shoulder outside the Storm dressing room.

"My puck playing, I actually play off of Nico Daws. I love Dawsy,” said Oster. “I've looked up to him ever since I was drafted here ... I was like 'that's the guy I want to be. I want to be him."

Daws made his NHL debut for the New Jersey Devils Saturday night, beating the Buffalo Sabres.

“He's an amazing goalie and he had an amazing game last night,” said Oster, who also adds Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning as someone whose style he tries to emulate.

Oster has been part of an excellent group of 17 year olds making their mark in their first OHL season, a career delayed by a year lost to COVID.

The 17-year-old Oster hails from Manotick, just outside Ottawa and says he has always been a goaltender, ever since his first year of organized hockey, when he was four or five.

“Our goalie never came one day so I just threw on the pads. I loved the gear and never wanted to get out of them,” he said.

He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Storm in 2020 and was one of five goaltenders in camp this year battling for a roster spot alongside the returning Owen Bennett.

Oster went on to outplay them all in camp.

“My mental state coming in to camp was really just to come in here every single and put 120 per cent into it, whether I’m on the ice or off the ice, working out, being around the team, being a polite kid. I just tried to do everything I could to make sure I was here,” he said.

“I just wanted to give myself the best opportunity I could.”

Oster, who led Guelph to a 2-1 win over Sarnia on Friday night, made some quality saves in handing the Rangers their first loss of the season Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre.

His team did a good job of keeping the volume of shots down, with the Rangers having 16 shots on net, but he was called on several times to make big saves.

“I think he’s played very calm, very cool and very poised throughout all his starts and given us a chance to win,” said Storm coach George Burnett. 

“There’s a lot of work ahead, but he’s a young man who’s doing everything that’s asked of him and trying to get better every day.”

Burnett said Bennett was “banged up” a bit in camp but Oster’s consistency shone through. He feels they’ve got two guys now capable of getting the job done and gave a nod to Storm property Dixon Grimes, who is playing very well in junior B with the Listowel Cyclones.

“We’ve got some good depth at the goaltending position. It’s much different this year than it has been in the past,” Burnett said.

It was the first win in four tries against Kitchener for the Storm, who are now 3-3-1-0 on the season.

After a scoreless first period, Cam Allen and Matt Papais goals had them up 2-1 heading into the third.

Sasha Pastujov’s breakaway goal, followed by Braeden Bowman’s power play goal, put the home side up 4-1 before a Kitchener tally with the man advantage made it 4-2 with 51 seconds remaining.

“Our defence and forwards in our defensive zone played amazing today. They really boxed out guys and blocked shots from the point. They only had a couple of shots from right in the house in front of me, so I can’t take all the credit,” Oster said.

The Storm has a three-in-three this week, starting in Windsor Thursday night then home against Owen Sound Friday and Saul Ste. Marie Saturday night.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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