None of the current members of the Guelph Storm were old enough to play in the OHL the last time the Storm beat the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Some of them would have been in Grade 7.
But a streak of 20 consecutive losses to the Hounds dating back to March 2, 2014, came to an end Sunday afternoon before 3,600 at the Sleeman Centre.
Ryan Merkley lifted the curse, taking a nice feed from Cedric Ralph and firing home the game winner at 2:09 of overtime to give Guelph a 4-3 win over the Hounds.
The significance of it was not lost on Storm coach George Burnett.
"Absolutely," Burnett said of the psychological importance of ending the losing streak. "I think it helps. We go back up there next week and it's always a hornet's nest when you play up there."
Even though the Soo is not the powerhouse they have been on occasion the past four years, they're still an excellent hockey team currently in first place in the Western Conference standings.
With the win Guelph moved into second place in the west, where just three points separate second from seventh place.
"They're still an excellent hockey team with Morgan Frost and Barrett Hayton, probably two of the top 10 forwards in the league," Burnett said.
The game was a similar story to Friday's loss to Erie, only with a different ending.
Guelph once again blew a 3-0 lead, including a two-goal lead in the third.
But a timeout called after the Hounds tied the game, plus a late-game penalty to Sault Ste. Marie after Jordan Sambrook sent the puck over the glass, helped ease the pressure and the Storm rallied for the two points.
The winner came when Ralph intercepted a clearing pass in the Soo zone and thought about shooting before spotting Merkley at the side of the net, sending him a perfect pass to polish off the game.
"We're a new team this year and we're expected to do a lot of big things," said Ralph, who also had a goal Sunday.
"I was thinking shot at first, but I saw something open up, a little two-on-one. I thought I'd fake the shot and give it to Merks and it ended up working," Ralph said.
Guelph led 3-0 in the first period, outshooting the Hounds 12-5.
But a string of penalties to both sides in the second period disrupted the flow and disrupted Burnett's ability to roll his four lines like he did in the first period.
"You get into penalty trouble, your bench gets short and it's just no fun not to be able to get everybody out there because everybody was involved early and was part of it, doing positive things," Burnett said.
"To find a way today was good."
The Guelph power play, deadly much of the season, went 0-for-6 on Sunday and Burnett attributed that to being outworked when they had the man advantage.
The Storm now hits the road for its next three games: Tuesday in Kitchener, Friday in the Soo and Saturday in Saginaw.
Next home game is Nov. 9 when Barrie visits.
