Sting Stop Spitfires

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A tough loss for Windsor at the WFCU Centre. Just when the momentum began to shift, the rally was stopped dead in its tracks. The Windsor Spitfires came back to tie the game after going down by three. They evened the game, but the Sarnia Sting would score the next two to take the lead, and the win. Windsor was defeated by Sarnia 5-3 Thursday night.

The first period began just as any other, but the winds quickly changed in favour of the Sting. The visitors scored three first period goals. It started after Ryan Moore laid a hit into a Sting player. On the ensuing powerplay, Davis Brown scooped up a loose puck, turned, and fired it over goalie Alex Fotinos. Later, after Jeff King dove to slap the puck into the open. Brown’s backhand hit the boards, but the puck was soon grabbed by Kevin Spinozzi and slid into the net. To wrap up the opening period scoring, Hayden Hodgson’s deflection trickled slowly across the line. With 20 minutes gone, the Spits were in a three-goal hole; Sarnia was up 3-0.

The young Spitfires, as well as the veterans, had much to go over during the break. It seems that the breather helped, as they cut the lead to two, and then one, thanks to Slater Doggett. His first of two goals beat Taylor Dupuis when he shot the puck through a defender and over the goalie just 20 seconds into the middle frame. A little over three minutes later, Doggett pounced on a sitting puck and swatted it into the open net. The energy was building, more so after Liam Murray went toe-to-toe with Noah Bushnell. The fight revved up the engines of the Spitfires as they came within one. In incredible fashion, the Spits scored the equalizer. However, the goal was called back. Chris Marchese made contact with the goaltender after being bumped into the net. When Jamie Lewis put the puck in, Dupuis was interfered with, thus negating the play. After all was said and done, at the end of the period, Windsor was down 3-2.

With two periods down, the Spitfires needed to make something happen. Windsor had the most chances, and they paid off. A short two-on-one between Hayden McCool and Logan Brown ended with Brown slapping the puck through the goalie’s legs. The game was now tied with plenty of time remaining. The Spitfires maintained control as Fotinos stood tall in net, and the offensive units kept pressure on the Sting. As it appeared that the tides had turned, Sarnia rained on Windsor’s parade. Fotinos made the initial save, but Nikita Korostelev put the rebound past the goaltender. Daniel Nikandrov added the icing when he skated from the corner and fired a shot into the back of the net. The goal gave Sarnia its victory as the Sting beat the Spits 5-3.

Windsor will be in Kitchener Friday night, but back at the WFCU Centre Saturday night to battle the London Knights at 7:05pm.