OHL Saginaw Spirit

Codd Scores Two as Spirit Fall to Bulldogs

Published on September 2, 2023 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


In their preseason debut, the Saginaw Spirit fell 4-2 to the Brantford Bulldogs at Erie Insurance Arena on Saturday. TBone Codd scored both Saginaw goals in his first taste of game action since November of 2022.

Despite the Spirit holding a shot advantage in the early first period, it was the Bulldogs who struck first. Jake O'Brien and Jorian Donovan linked up to spring Marek Vanacker on a breakaway. The Bulldogs' first round pick in 2022 snapped a shot past the glove of Andrew Oke at 12:09 for the 1-0 lead.

Another odd-man rush allowed the Bulldogs to double up three minutes later. Ben Bujold slid a puck over to Dylan Tsherna on a 2-on-1, and the rookie chipped his first of the preseason past Oke to make it 2-0 Brantford.

After last seeing action in Niagara on November 17th of 2022, TBone Codd made the most of his first period back in game action. Knocking down a pass at waist height in the neutral zone, Codd raced into the Brantford end on a breakaway of his own. A low shot on Matteo Drobac with 21.1 seconds left in the period gave Saginaw the break they needed.

After outshooting Brantford 13-12 in the first period, Saginaw returned to the dressing room with some momentum despite trailing 2-1. The Spirit went 0/2 on the powerplay in the first, while Brantford failed to score on their lone man-advantage.

The Michigan native Codd picked up right where he left off to begin the second period, flagging down another puck in the neutral zone. This time, it took a few more strides to split the Brantford defenders and find the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.

A large scrum later in the period resulted in numerous unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and saw Saginaw to their second powerplay of the night, but to no avail. A hooking penalty to Calvin Crombie put the Spirit on the powerplay to end the period and would carry over into the third.

Codd's goal stood as the lone tally of the second, and the Spirit outshot the Bulldogs 11-10 in the frame for a 24-22 game total lead.

The Bulldogs killed of the remaining penalty time to begin period number three, immediately following it with a Lawson Sherk goal less than a minute into the period. The Bulldogs killed off two more penalties before Sherk found another goal off a defensive zone Spirit turnover to make it 4-2. Brantford would hold off extended Saginaw pressure late in the third and hung on for the victory.

Matteo Drobac would make 41 saves in the Bulldogs' 4-2 win, while Andrew Oke stopped 24 of 28 from the Bulldogs.

Saginaw will step right back into preseason action again tomorrow afternoon against the Erie Otters. Puck drop from Erie Insurance Arena is slated for 2:00pm.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from September 2, 2023


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