OHL Saginaw Spirit

Eagles Nest Notes

Published on January 19, 2009 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


The Saginaw Spirit swept their three game weekend road series last and head into the week with three more games as they continue to climb in the rankings. The team is in fourth place in the OHL Western Conference with 55 points and a record of 26-15-0-3. They team is six points ahead of the fifth place Sarnia Sting (49 points) and two points out of the third place Guelph Storm (57 points).

Week 18 Recap

The Spirit won the first game of their two game season series against the Eastern Conference's Peterborough Petes Thursday night; they beat the Petes 5-2. Jordan Skellett, Jordan Szwarz, Jack Combs and Tyler Murovich all tallied goals in the effort, and Chris Chappell earned the games First Star with a goal and an assist. T.J. Brodie notched two assists in the effort. Goalie Edward Pasquale posted 35 saves on 37 shots, earning the games Third Star.

The team visited the Ottawa 67's Friday night, sweeping their season series against their Eastern Conference foes in a 3-2 overtime decision. The Spirit overcame a two goal deficit to push the game out of regulation, then sealed the win and the two points thanks to an overtime goal 0:55 seconds in from T.J. Brodie. Scoring in regulation were Jordan Skellett and Joe Underwood. Brodie earned the games First Star and goalie Edward Pasquale garnered the Third Star with 34 saves on 36 shots.

The Spirit stood idle Saturday then headed into Kingston Sunday afternoon. They swept their season series against the Frontenacs 6-3 in the effort, scoring three consecutive goals in the final ten minutes of the game to break a tied effort and secure the win. Nick Crawford, Jordan Szwarz, Kyle Bochek, Adam Comrie and Jack Combs all scored in the effort. Jordan Skellett earned the games First Star with 1 goal and 2 assists, and Tyler Murovich earned the Third Star with 3 assists. Former Frontenac Anthony Peters anchored the net for Saginaw, posting 37 saves on 40 shots.

Week 19 Preview

The Spirit play three games this week, starting with the Brampton Battalion Thursday night (7:11 PM) in Saginaw. The Spirit host the Peterborough Petes Saturday night (7:11 PM) then finish out the weekend Sunday night in Sault Ste. Marie when they take on the Greyhounds (7:00 PM).

Brampton Battalion

One of the top teams in the OHL Eastern Conference, the Brampton Battalion head into Saginaw Thursday with 58 points and a record of 28-14-1-1. The Spirit beat the Battalion 5-2 on December 4, with Tyler Murovich posting 3 assists in the effort.

Center Matt Duchene (22G 33A), a highly touted prospect for this summer's NHL draft, is the team's leading scorer and is ranked eighth in the OHL Top Scorers category. Vancouver Canucks pick Cody Hodgson (26G 26A) and New York Rangers pick Evgeny Grachev (24G 22A) recently returned from international play to help lead their team into the final half of the season. The Battalion also added some offense at the trade deadline, picking up winger Matt Kang (13G 22A), winger Andrew Merrett (9G 15A) and St. Louis Blues pick Anthony Peluso (12G 7A).

The blue line features talented defensemen like Ken Peroff (7G 15A), Kyle Pereira (2G 14A) and Josh Day (14A). The Battalion also boasts one of the best goalie tandems in the league, with Patrick Killeen and Thomas McCollum serving in net. Killeen, drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, shouldered the load for the Battalion in the beginning of the season, posting a 2.98 goals against average and 0.886 save percentage in 28 games. Detroit Red Wings pick McCollum has earned a 2.21 goals against average and 0.912 save percentage in the 4 games he's played since being traded from the Guelph Storm.

Peterborough Petes

The Peterborough Petes head into their Saturday night contest against the Spirit in ninth place in the OHL Eastern Conference with 38 points and a record of 18-26-0-2. They are within a 'stones throw' of sixth place, with the Niagara IceDogs ranked sixth with 44 points, the Sudbury Wolves seventh with 43 points and the Barrie Colts eighth with 42 points.

The Petes offense is driven by winger Tony Romano (23G 24A), winger Zack Kassian (17G 26A) and Pat Daley (11G 31A). Kassian is a highly touted prospect for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft and recently participated in the CHL Top Prospects game. Rookie Ryan Spooner (18G 16A) has come out of the gates strong in his rookie season, scoring 34 points in 40 games. He also tallied a goal in the Petes 5-2 loss to the Spirit on January 15.

Defenseman Jamie Doornbosch (5G 21A) chips in regularly from the blue line, and along with Jake Laplante (1G 2A), provide the veteran leadership on a defense featuring four 91-born and two 92-born blueliners. Despite being at the bottom of the rankings, Montreal Canadiens drafted goalie Jason Missiaen has posted a 3.83 goals against average and 0.900 save percentage in 27 games. Former Spirit netminder Ryan Daniels has earned a record of 5-6-0-0 in 12 games.

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

The Spirit visit their division rivals Sunday night, taking on the Sault Ste. Greyhounds for the seventh time this season. The Spirit are 4-1-0-1 against the Hounds this season, and goalie Anthony Petes lead a 4-0 shutout of the team in their last contest on January 7. The Greyhounds are in tenth place in the OHL Western Conference with 35 points and a record of 16-27-2-1.

The team boasts a lot of youth, with five 92-born and seven 91-born players on the roster. The team doesn't lack for veteran leadership however, with center Matthew Lyall (15G 18A) leading the offense with 33 points on the season. Lyall has carried the load up front since the team traded high scoring center Matt Caria to the Plymouth Whalers in early December; he is still two points out from matching the 35 points contributed by Caria before he was traded. Winger Jordan Nolan (11G 16A), center Michael Fine (11G 15A) and St. Louis Blues pick James Livingston (13G 11A) are also major factors up front.

On the other end of the ice, Michael Quesnele (6G 22A) leads the defense and also chips in on offense with 28 points on the season. Quesnele has tallied 3 points against the Spirit this season. Cody St. Jacques and rookie Bryce O'Hagan have shared duty in the Greyhounds net this season.

Get your Tickets!

The Spirit host two home games this week, Thursday at 7:11 PM when they take on the Brampton Battalion and Saturday at 7:11 PM when they take on the Peterborough Petes. Tickets remain for both contests! Contact the Official Saginaw Spirit Ticket and Merchandise Store at 989-497-7747 or 5789 State Street in Saginaw for more information.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2009


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central