With no spectators in the stands at the GFL Memorial Gardens in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario on -Saturday, January 8th, the third place (14-9-2-2) Windsor Spitfires hit the ice for game one of a back-to -back weekend against the first place (18-10-2) Soo Greyhounds in Ontario Hockey League action. The Greyhounds hold a six-point lead over the Spitfires with 38 points heading into Saturday’s contest.

2:47 into the opening period, Nicholas DeAngelis sends a stretch pass from behind the Windsor to Spitfire Ryan Abraham to find the back of Greyhound netminder Tucker Tynan’s through the Chicago, Illinois’ native’s five hole to give the visitors a 1 – 0 lead. Wyatt Johnson catches a pass from Matthew Maggio to lift a wrist shot over Tynan’s left shoulder to bring the lead to 2 – 0 at 4:15 of the second. Louka Henault drew the second helper on the Spitfires second goal. After a Greyhound three on one Kalvyn Watson sets up Tye Kartye’s 26th of the season with goal over Windsor goaltender Xavier Medina’s catcher to pull the Soo within one at the 5:24 mark of the period. Right off the faceoff to the right of Medina, Tanner Dickinson sends a pass between his legs to veteran Greyhound Cole MacKay at the top of the faceoff circle to sink the tying goal for the Soo. MacKay’s eleventh of the season was shorthanded for the hosts at 7:28. With 1:39 remaining in the periuod, Will Cuyelle picks up a Greyhound turnover at the blueline to give the Spitfires a one goal lead heading into the second intermission with Johnston and Andrew Perrott adding the contributors on Cuyelle’s goal.

With Tynan sprawled across the Soo crease, Johnston sends a cross crease pass to Maggio to slide the Spitfires fourth past the Soo netminder to bring the lead to 4 – 2 at 7:08 of the third. With Tynan on the Greyhound bench for an extra attacker at 18:42, Maggio fires an empty net goal to give Windsor a 5 – 2 win to open the weekend over the Greyhounds. Johnston register his fourth point of the contest on Maggio’s second goal of the game. Spitfire goaltender Xavier Medina turned away 23 of 25 shots in the win while Soo netminder Tucker Tynan stopped 21 of 25 in the Greyhounds eleventh loss of the season.

The Spitfires and Greyhounds are back in action for game two of the weekend in Sault Ste Marie for a 2:07 p.m afternoon matinee on Sunday, January 9th.

Photo Bob Davies