SpitFIRES halt losing streak with road win over Frontenacs
Matthew Maggio scored twice and added two assists as the Windsor Spitfires defeated the Kingston Frontenacs 8-4 on Sunday afternoon, February 27 at the Leon’s Centre
Maggio’s two goals were his 45th and 46th of the season, tops in the OHL, while adding two assists kept his lofty status as the OHL’s leading scorer with 94 points in 55 games
Aidan Castle, Brett Harrision, Alex Christopoulos and James Jodoin added singles for the Spitfires while Liam Greentree and Shane Wright both scored once while adding two assists.
The game marked the fourth time that Wright, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Frontenacs in January, had a three-point game since landing in Windsor. The first round pick of the Seattle Kraken, fourth overall in the 2022 National Hockey League Entry Draft who captained Team Canada to the gold medal at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships, now seven goals and 18 points in nine games while producing at least a point in every game with the Spitfires.
Defenceman Rodwin Dionicio chipped in with four assists for the Spitfires.
Gage Heyes and Gabriel Frasca both scored twice and added an assist to pace the Frontenacs offensively while Ethan Miedema, who was part of the package sent to Kingston in exchange for Wright, assisted on Heyes’ first goal of the game in the third period.
Joey Costanzo made 17 saves to pick up the win in goal for Windsor while Kingston starter Mason Vaccari made 15 stops before giving way to Ivan Zhigalov who made 21 saves in a relief effort.
Earlier in the week, J.R. Avon scored twice and Michael Simpson made 41 saves as the Peterborough Petes defeated the Spitfires 6-2 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday, February 23. Konnor Smith, Connor Lockhart, Donovan McCoy and Chase Stillman all tallied once for the Petes while Nicholas DeAngelis and Maggio replied for the Windsor
Costanzo made 32 saves for Windsor, who split the two-game season series games to the Petes during the 2022-02023 OHL regular season.
A night later, the Ottawa 67s received single goals from six different players enroute to a convincing 6-1 win over the Spitfires at TD Place.. Henry Mews, Logan Morrison, Brady Stonehouse, Luca Pinelli, Will Gerrior and Brad Gardiner all scored once while only Maggio replied for the Spitfires.
Collin MacKenzie made 28 saves for the 67s while Matt Onuska made 44 stops for the Spitfires.
The Spitfires return to action on Thursday, March 2 when they host the London Knights at the WFCU Centre. First place in the OHL’s Western Conference will be on the line that night as the Knights currently lead the Spitfires by one point (82 to 81) with both teams having played 57 games.