WITH PHOTOS: Spitfires Unstoppable in 7-1 Rout

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All photos: Tim Cornett/WindsorSpitfires.com

From beginning to end, Windsor was untouchable. The team controlled the game early, but it quickly turned into a shooting range as the Spitfires lit up the visiting net seven times. With seven different scorers, Windsor simply thrashed the opposition. The Spits handily defeated the Saginaw Spirit 7-1 Thursday night at the WFCU Centre.

Only three games into the season, the Spitfires are proving to be a powerhouse team, reminiscent of old school Spitfires hockey. Both offensive and defensive plays, as well as their physicality, have resulted in outstanding action on their part.

In hasty fashion, the Spitfires went to work. They dominated from the opening faceoff to the chances that ensued. A bit over two minutes in, a chance turned into a goal. Cristiano DiGiacinto, who had an incredible game, started the play. He bumped the defender at Windsor’s blue line before stealing the puck and pushing it ahead for Gabriel Vilardi. The speedy forward sprung in on a breakaway. He made a nifty move to fake out the goalie and slide the puck in across the line. Windsor continued to put pressure on the visiting Spirit, taking the game’s first eight shots. Almost eleven minutes later, DiGiacinto got a goal of his own. On a clearing attempt by Saginaw, the puck hit a stanchion and fell to DiGiacinto’s feet. He slapped it in to give his team a 2-0 lead. The score would remain the same until the end of the period.

Saginaw responded to Windsor’s early goal with one a tad earlier. The Spirit had a flurry of chances down low. First-year goaltender Michael DiPietro made remarkable saves, but the visitors managed to sneak one by. Jesse Barwell skated in to find the loose puck at the top of the crease and put it over a downed DiPietro. The Spits weren’t phased though. They forced turnovers, mainly with steals, and came up with great opportunities. It was off another steal that the Spitfires regained their two-goal lead. a somewhat broken play was recovered by who other than DiGiacinto. He made a move around the defender before sending a short pass to Luke Kirwan. His first shot didn’t make it through, be the rebound did. With a minute left, the home team struck again. Anthony Stefano raced down the boards, grabbed hold of the puck and lifted a swift shot over the glove of Evan Cormier. Windsor was up 4-1 after two periods as the Spitfires clearly had control of the game.

Up by three, the Spits were absolutely not ready to slow down. It took just 36 seconds into the final frame for the team to score. Patrick Sanvido’s slapshot missed the net and bounced off the back boards – straight to Bradley Latour. He slapped the puck into the mostly empty net as Cormier was caught off guard. Windsor didn’t take its foot off the gas just yet. Even down two men, they were composed and killed off the advantage. And then, the Spits would fire away once more on the Spirit. Aaron Luchuk scored with a wrist-shot from the right faceoff circle as the crowd roared. Windsor was just a dominant force. To cap things off, Jalen Chatfield scored his first of the year with eleven seconds to play. He scooped up his own rebound and put the puck in. The Spitfires routed the Saginaw Spirit 7-1 in front of the 5507 cheering fans.

Windsor returns to the WFCU Centre next Thursday, October 8^th to take on the Peterborough Petes at 7:05pm.