Firebirds Calm Storm, 6-3
Published on November 8, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Flint Firebirds News Release
Flint Firebirds center Alex Kostov
(Flint Firebirds, Credit: Todd Boone)
FLINT - Mason Courville stopped 26 shots, five Firebirds had a multi-point game, and Alex Kostov recorded his second hat trick in as many nights as the Flint Firebirds beat the Guelph Storm, 6-3 on Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
After Guelph's Ethan Miedema opened up the scoring midway through the first, Jimmy Lombardi responded quickly to even the score. Darian Anderson won a puck battle in the corner and passed the puck to the front of the net where Lombardi was camped. He deflected the puck over Guelph's Colin Ellsworth to tie things at one.
Kostov then struck for his first with the Firebirds on the powerplay. Urban Podrekar sent a cross-ice pass to Kostov where he faked a shot and beat Ellsworth with a low wrist shot making the score 2-1.
The Storm responded with a quick goal from Mykhailo Haponenko, but Kostov bounced back with another goal for the Birds just 22 seconds later. Ellsworth failed to control a funky bounce off the boards and Kostov, in the right place at the right time, tapped the puck into the empty net to score his second of the period and put the Birds ahead, 3-2.
Halfway through the second period, Nathan Aspinall sent a spinning cross-ice pass to find Lombardi where he rifled a shot past the Storm's Zachary Jovanovski for his second of the game, extending the lead to 4-2.
Late in the second, Podrekar received a pass from his defense partner Luka Graziano at the blue line. He sniped a shot through bodies to beat Jovanovski five-hole and make the score 5-2.
Guelph responded midway through the third with a goal from Quinn Beauchese but Kostov struck again for his third goal of the game and fourth point of the night. Chase Hull carried the puck in and found Kostov at top of the left circle for a shot that went glove side past Jovanovski, turning the score to 6-3.
The Firebirds improved to 11-6-1-0 with their third straight win and Guelph fell to 9-7-2-0.
POSTGAME NOTES:
Alex Kostov's hat trick was both his second in as many games and his second of his OHL career. He has seven goals in the last two games and has extended his point streak to four games...Jimmy Lombardi has recorded five points in his last two games...Luka Graziano had two assists for his first multi-point game of the season and of his OHL career.
UP NEXT:
The Firebirds are back at home Wednesday night where they'll take on the London Knights. Puck drop at the Dort Financial Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Images from this story
 Flint Firebirds center Alex Kostov (Todd Boone) |
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