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Spitfires Winning Streak Snapped in Hamilton

The Windsor Spitfires longest winning streak of the 2022-2023 Ontario Hockey League season came to an abrupt end in the very same arena where the team lost game seven of the 2022 OHL finals last summer.

Logan Morrison scored twice, including the game winner, and Tristan Malboeuf made 26 saves as the Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Spitfires 5-3 at the FirstOntario Centre on Sunday, December 11.

Matthew Maggio and Ethan Miedema replied for the Spitfires whose six-game winning streak ended in the same Steel City rink where their run to the OHL Finals ended with a 6-1 defeat on June 16.

Jorian Donovan, Noah Van Vliet and Sean Hayes had the other goals for the Bulldogs in last Sunday’s game. Morrison’s second goal of the game midway through the third period stood up as the game winner while Hayes scored into an empty net to round out the scoring in the contest. Onuska made 30 saves before being pulled late in the game in favour of an extra attacker.

The loss in Hamilton was preceded days earlier by the Spitfires biggest win of the season.

Oliver Peer, Alex Christopoulos and Matthew Maggio all had a goal and an assist and Onuska made 32 saves as the Spitfires defeated the Ottawa 67s 5-3 aT the WFCU Centre on Thursday, December 8.

Jacob Maillet and Miedema had the other goals for the Spitfires while Chris Barlas and Tyler Boucher replied for the 67s, who came into the game as the top-ranked team in the Ontario Hockey League and fourth overall in the Canadian Hockey League ratings. Windsor native Max Donoso made 20 saves for the visitors but was denied in his bid for his OHL-leading 15th win of the season. The Spitfires did extend their winning streak to four games as a result of the win over the 67s and immediately jumped on the bus to head to Erie for a Friday night contest against the Otters.

After spotting the Otters a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Spitfires came from behind to score four unanswered goals in a 4-2 win against their long-time rivals from Pennsylvania. Elias Cohen and Carey Terrance scored within four minutes of each other midway through the opening frame but the Otters were shut down offensively by the Spitfires for the rest of the game. After Christopoulos scored his team-leading 20th goal of the game in the second period to get Windsor back to within a goal in the second period, Windsor scored three unanswered goals in the final frame on markers by Miedema, Liam Greentree and Maggio to come from behind for the win. Maggio’s goal with just over a minutes remaining in the contest was into an empty net.

Rookie netminder Joey Costanzo, named the game’s first star, made 35 saves to pick up his sixth win of the season while former Spitfire Kyle Downey made 26 stops at the other end of the ice.

The Spitfires return to action on Thursday when they have a rematch with the Otters at the WFCU Centre. Opening face-off is set for 7:05 pm.