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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Beck Tallies Six Points in Saginaw Debut, Spirit Down Spits 11-3

January 10, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw Spirit celebrate win
Saginaw Spirit celebrate win
(Saginaw Spirit, Credit: Nick Welsh-Windsor Spitfires)

Windsor, Ont. - The Saginaw Spirit (25-11-0-1) defeated the Windsor Spitfires (12-22-3-1) 11-3 on Wednesday, January 10th, at the WFCU Centre. Newly acquired Owen Beck completed a stellar six-point night (2G, 4A) alongside a hat trick by Zayne Parekh (3G, 1A) and a pair of goals from Michael Misa. Andrew Oke started for the victorious Spirit, stopping 18 of 21, while Windsor's Joey Costanzo and Max Donoso combined for 29 saves on 40 shots.

With tonight's performance, Beck becomes just the fifth player in Spirit history to record a six-point night.

Saginaw struck first in the opening period after an offensive zone powerplay. After losing the faceoff, the Spirit's Joey Willis applied pressure on the forecheck and forced a pass up the bench-side boards. This pass was knocked down by Zayne Parekh, who carried the puck into the high slot and wristed a shot on net. The defensemen's shot blazed over the shoulder of Windsor goaltender Joey Costanzo and into the net for his 16th of the year and a 1-0 Spirit lead.

Windsorresponded four minutes later, following a successful forecheck. After dumping the puck in behind the net, the Spirit defense retreated and attempted to ring the puck around the boards. Windsor's Noah Morneau intercepted the puck and carried it just past the left dot, looking for a teammate. Morneau then decided to backhand the puck on net, perfectly finding the corner after ricocheting after goaltender Andrew Oke's shoulder and into the net. This was Morneau's fourth of the year and set a 1-1 tie.

At 15:34 into the first, Saginaw's Braden Haché received a minor penalty for elbowing, setting up Windsor on its second powerplay of the night. The Spitfires began moving the puck around off the faceoff, looking for an opening. After a missed shot that rebounded to the sideboards, Ethan Hay collected the puck and looked up ice, seeing Matayas Sapovaliv. The Czech bronze medalist raced up the ice, gathering the puck in stride, closed off the Windsor defender, and forehanded a shot between Joey Costanzo's legs. This shorthanded goal is Sapovaliv's 13th of the year and first since returning from the IIHF World Junior Championship, giving Saginaw a 2-1 lead.

Windsor moved up ice as the minor penalty to Braden Haché ended, hoping for one more chance on the powerplay. A quick pass from near the Spitfire's goal to Liam Greentree started the Windsor rush. Greentree skated into the Saginaw zone and backhanded a pass across, finding former Spirit forward Valentin Zhugin on the far post. Goaltender Andrew Oke saved his initial shot, and after a short scramble, Ryan Abraham slapped home his 14th of the year to tie the game at two.

In the last minute of the first period, Saginaw held possession of the puck and looked to enter intermission with the lead. Alex Christopoulos took control of the puck near the right circle and made a slight pass to the newly acquired Jorian Donovan. After receiving the pass, Donovan looked cross-ice on a pass for Sebastien Gervais. Donovan's pass slipped through the Windsor defense and onto the stick of Gervais, whose quick shot buried itself under the block of Costanzo and into the net, giving Saginaw a 3-2 lead entering the intermission.

At the end of the first period, Saginaw led 3-2 while outshooting Windsor 11 to 7.

The Spirit continued their scoring in the second, beginning with a second goal from Zayne Parekh, this time on the powerplay. Following a minor penalty for slashing to Windsor's Dijibril Toure, Saginaw won the faceoff and looked to move the puck around. Zayne Parekh, Hunter Haight, and the newly acquired Owen Beck moved the puck between the three of them in the umbrella formation, looking for an open shot. Haight looked for a shot before passing to the top point for Parekh. The highly touted defensemen took the opportunity and one-timed a slapshot on net that goaltender Joey Costanzo never saw, sealing Parekh's 17th of the season and Saginaw's fourth of the game.

Saginaw struck once again 11 seconds later after winning the ensuing faceoff. After Josh Bloom fed a pass up to Owen Beck, who entered the zone and looked across for a teammate. A quick pass to Michael Misa and a quick shot netted Misa his 18th of the year and extended the Saginaw lead to three.

At 14:50, Misa again added to his goal total, scoring his 19th of the year. After receiving a pass in the Saginaw defensive zone, Owen Beck looked up ice and fired the puck to Josh Bloom along the bench-side boards. Bloom raced to the puck near the Windsor blueline and found Michael Misa's stick. The Saginaw forward skated in and backhanded a shot between the arm and leg of Costanzo to give the Spirit a 6-2 lead.

Two minutes later, Parekh finished off his hat trick. After Saginaw won a faceoff in the Windsor zone, Parekh collected the puck and drifted to the top slot. A quick, right-handed shot blazed past Costanzo's outstretched glove for Parekh's second hat trick of the year, giving Saginaw a 7-2 lead entering the final period.

Following Parekh's hat-trick goal, Max Donoso replaced Joey Costanzo in goal for Windsor.

At the end of the second period, Saginaw continued to lead, 7-2, while outshooting the Spitfires 10 to 7 in the period and 21 to 14 overall.

The Spirit picked up where they left off in the second, scoring again 4:50 into the third. Hunter Haight began the play by knocking down an attempted clear by Windsor and moving the puck to Calem Mangone. The Saginaw forward looked toward the goal and then decided to return the puck to the right point, finding Zayne Parekh. The defensemen collected and immediately fired a pass to the left circle for Owen Beck. Beck eyed the pass and one-timed a shot along the ice, slipping between the legs of goaltender Max Donoso for his first goal with Saginaw and his 17th of the season.

After a penalty to Jorian Donovan for a cross-check and a fight off the ensuing faceoff, Windsor took advantage. Ryan Abraham received the puck in the center of the ice and passed it to his right, entering the zone. Anthony Cristoforo gathered the puck, faked a slapshot, then placed a shot five-hole on Andrew Oke for his third of the year and set an 8-3 scoreline.

Saginaw responded with three goals of their own including a driving shot far side by Hunter Haight, a scrambling goal from Nic Sima, and a rocket one-timer off the right post and in for Owen Beck to wrap up a wild 11-3 win.

This win brought Saginaw Spirit up to (25-11-0-1) winning against the Windsor Spitfires (12-22-3-1) for the fourth time this season.

Saginaw will finish their quick, two-game road trip with a game at Budweiser Gardens to face the London Knights on Friday, January 12th, set for a 7:00 pm puck drop.

For more information, visit saginawspirit.com or follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

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Images from this story

Saginaw Spirit celebrate win
Saginaw Spirit celebrate win
(Nick Welsh-Windsor Spitfires)		   



Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2024


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