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OSHAWA -- Many nights last season the Durham Fury struggled to find the back of the net.
The hope is that will change this year with a scattering of new faces and the return of a few familiar ones. And after their last three games, there is little reason to suggest the club isn't on the right track.
While 10 different players have scored at least once in that span, spearheading the charge has been forward Luigi Martone.
The 18-year-old Toronto resident leads the team with four goals heading into tonight's contest against the Markham Waxers, the first of three consecutive road games this weekend.
Fury general manager John Annis has known Martone for years and isn't the least bit surprised with the rookie's early success this season, despite the club's 1-2-1 record.
"All he has ever done his whole life is score goals. I have known him since he was seven years old," said Annis. "He played when he was younger in Ajax, then moved to Toronto, played there and played for my buddy for the Markham Majors last year. He led the team in scoring and they recommended him highly to our team.
"We've lacked scoring and you can see it, he likes to go to the net hard, and that's always good," the GM added.
For Martone, this season, his first in the league, isn't just going to be about the goal scoring despite his early season success.
When asked how he expected to make an impact this season, Martone responded full of enthusiasm.
"(I will give) two-hundred percent every shift, every time on the ice, every practice, every team function and just represent the team as best as I can," he said.
On Sunday, Martone and five others, Trevor McKinney, Dwayne Vatcher, Steven Koufis, Matt Miller and Ryan Henry, represented the Fury the best they could, scoring single goals, but it wasn't enough as they left Ajax empty-handed after a 7-6 overtime win by the Attack.
The game was a see-saw affair in which the Fury held the lead four different times, but couldn't administer the final nail into the Ajax coffin.
Holding the lead was again a problem Tuesday night for the Fury. Despite falling behind after two early North York goals, Durham stormed back with four of their own, only to allow the next four in a 6-4 setback to the Rangers.
Aaron Pierce, Behn Robertson, Michael Markovic and Derek Foote scored for the Fury.
FURY FILES: Behn Robertson leads the team in scoring through four games with 2-4-7 totals after posting only 14 points all of last season... Brandon Foote got the start in net Tuesday, while Wes Annis started Sunday...
After tonight's game, Durham heads to Dixie tomorrow and faces Mississauga in the league's annual Showcase Tournament on Sunday.
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