Sima Scores Game-Winner, Shurygin Stops 31 in 2-1 Win over Windsor
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Sima Scores Game-Winner, Shurygin Stops 31 in 2-1 Win over Windsor

Published on November 22, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw Spirit right wing Nic Sima shoots against the Windsor Spitfires
Saginaw Spirit right wing Nic Sima shoots against the Windsor Spitfires
(Saginaw Spirit, Credit: Eric Young)

Saginaw, Mich. - Despite just falling short of his first career shutout, Stepan Shurygin carried the day in a highly charged 2-1 victory over the Windsor Spitfires on Saturday night. The Spirit leads the season series 3-1 and split a home-and-home weekend against the leaders of the Western Conference.

The Spirit started the game with some early penalties, but showed an aggressive style of play out of the gate. Saginaw jumped on every loose puck and disrupted Windsor's passing lanes, only allowing five shots in a total of eight minutes on the penalty kill in the period. The Spirit found a few shorthanded opportunities, including a breakaway from Nic Sima that hit the post.

At the halfway point in the period, James Guo and Levi Harper corralled the puck back in the Spirit defensive zone and sent a pass up the ice for Egor Barabanov. He fought his way into the zone and slid the puck through the body of Joey Costanzo to put the Spirit on the board with his ninth goal of the season. Guo, who scored the Spirit's lone goal against the Spitfires on Friday night, secured his third straight game with a point.

After 1: SAG: 1 - WSR: 0 (Total Shots: 11 - 10)

In the early minutes of the second period, the teams went back and forth, struggling to find any quality shots on net. The first shot of the period did not come until the five-minute mark. The Spitfires held the advantage in shots, but could not find a way past Stepan Shurygin, who made big saves to keep Windsor out of his net.

The tensions of the first period carried over, giving each team opportunities on the man advantage, but neither could capitalize, and the Spirit held the lead going into the final frame.

After 2: SAG: 1 - WSR: 0 (2nd period shots: 4 - 11 Total shots: 15 - 21)

The third period began in a similar back-and-forth fashion to the second period. An early 4-on-4 opportunity opened up the ice, and a Saginaw power play gave the Spirit some momentum, but still neither side could get the puck to the back of the net.

Despite the pressure from Windsor, Shurygin and the Spirit defense kept the puck away. With under five minutes remaining in the period, the puck was sent out into neutral ice, and Sima turned on the jets to beat the Windsor blueliners and send a backhand shot past Costanzo to give Saginaw the insurance goal.

Guo picked up his second point of the night, credited with an assist alongside Sebaistain Gervais, who picked up his 16th career point against Windsor.

Inside three minutes to go, the teams went back to more four-on-four action. The Spitfires pulled Costanzo for the extra skater. Anthony Cristoforo won a puck battle in the corner and, from behind the net, fed Carson Woodall with a minute remaining to put the Spitfires on the board.

Final: SAG: 2 - WSR: 1 (3rd period shots 7 - 11, Total shots 22 - 32)

Powerplays SAG 0/3 WSR 0/5

Goaltenders: SAG Stepan Shurygin (31 saves, 32 shots), WSR Joey Costanzo (20 saves, 22 shots)

The Spirit are back in action on Wednesday, November 26th, for the sixth game of the Coors Light I-75 Divide Cup series against the Flint Firebirds at the Dort Financial Center. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

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Images from this story

Saginaw Spirit right wing Nic Sima shoots against the Windsor Spitfires
Saginaw Spirit right wing Nic Sima shoots against the Windsor Spitfires
(Eric Young)		   



Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 22, 2025


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