Windsor Spitfires Overcome Early Deficit to Defeat Saginaw Spirit 7-4, December 8, 2024.
On December 8, 2024, the Windsor Spitfires hosted the Saginaw Spirit at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, for an exciting Ontario Hockey League matchup. The game, which doubled as the Spitfires’ teddy bear toss night, saw Windsor mount an impressive comeback to secure a 7-4 victory.
First Period
The Spirit came out strong, dominating the early play and quickly building a 3-0 lead:
- 1:51 – James Guo (Saginaw) assisted by Kristian Epperson and Michael Misa
- 13:49- Zayne Parekh (Saginaw) assisted by Michael Misa and Nic Sima
- 15:21 – Jacob Cloutier (Saginaw) assisted by Calem Mangone
However, the Spitfires managed to get on the board late in the period:
- 16:51 – Jack Nesbitt (Windsor) assisted by AJ Spellacy and Tnias Mathurin
End of 1st Period: Saginaw 3, Windsor 1
Second Period
Windsor turned the tide in the second frame, scoring four unanswered goals to take the lead:
- 4:43 – AJ Spellacy (Windsor) assisted by Carson Woodall and Joey Costanzo (PP)
- 13:39 – Ilya Protas (Windsor) assisted by Liam Greentree and Anthony Cristoforo (PP)
- 17:47 – Ethan Belchetz (Windsor) assisted by Jack Nesbitt
- 19:44 – Ilya Protas (Windsor) (PP)
End of 2nd Period: Windsor 5, Saginaw 3
Third Period
Saginaw attempted a comeback early in the third:
- 1:29 – Scorer not specified (Saginaw)
Windsor, however, sealed the victory with two more goals:
- 12:47 – Liam Greentree (Windsor) assisted by Ilya Protas and Tnias Mathurin (SH)
- 18:48 – AJ Spellacy (Windsor) (EN)
Final Score: Windsor 7, Saginaw 4
Shots on Goal 32-32
Game Highlights
- Ilya Protas (Windsor) had an outstanding game with 2 goals and 1 assist
- AJ Spellacy (Windsor) also notched 2 goals and 1 assist
- Michael Misa (Saginaw) recorded 3 assists, extending his point streak to 12 games
- Zayne Parekh (Saginaw) scored 2 goals
- Windsor’s special teams were crucial, scoring 3 power-play goals and 1 short-handed goal
- Joey Costanzo (Windsor) made 28 saves on 32 shots
- Andrew Oke (Saginaw) stopped 25 of 32 shots
The Windsor Spitfires showed great resilience, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to win the game. Their strong second period performance, coupled with effective special teams play, proved to be the difference in this high-scoring affair.
Photos: Tim Jarrold – In Play! magazine
