OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Defeat Otters 8-7 in Shootout

March 2, 2012 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


On Friday night, the Saginaw Spirit continued their weekend road trip as they traveled to Erie to take on the Otters. Unlike the previous night, this game was full of scoring and saw the Spirit taking home the victory by the score of 8-7 in a shootout. Scoring for the Spirit were Michael Fine, Brandon Saad, Eric Locke, Carlos Amestoy, and Josh Shalla.

Michael Fine got the scoring started early as he netted the first goal of the game just 1:23 into the period. Erie would respond minutes later with a goal of their own to tie the game at 1-1. Saginaw's Brandon Saad would strike short-handed a couple of minutes later to regain the lead for the Spirit. Erie would be quick to answer again, when Connor Brown scored his 22nd goal of the year for the Otters, knotting the game up at 2 apiece. Five minutes later, Carlos Amestoy would light the lamp for the Spirit, retaking the lead for the third time in the first period for Saginaw. Then, Eric Locke would score his sixteenth goal of the season to extend the Spirit lead to 4-2.

In the second period, Eric Locke would score his second of the game to push the Spirit lead to 5-2. Erie would get a goal back two minutes later with a shot fired off the stick of Luke Cairns for the Otters third of the night. Brandon Saad would answer back with his second goal of the game, once again shorthanded at the 6:49 mark of the period. Connor Brown would score his second goal of the game to bring the score to 6-4. Saginaw would retake the three-goal lead when Josh Shalla would net a goal late in the second period to make the score 7-4 heading into the intermission.

Kris Grant would start the scoring for Erie in the third period at the 11:10 mark, putting one past Clint Windsor to bring the score to 7-5. Five minutes later on the power play Erie's Dane Fox scored his 22nd of the season to get the Otters to within one of the Spirit lead. Then with goaltender Ramis Sadikov pulled for an extra attacker, Stephen Harper deflected a shot over the shoulder of Windsor to tie the game at 7-7 and force overtime.

The overtime period proved not to be decisive as the game was forced into a shootout. In the shootout, Carlos Amestoy scored on the first Spirit shot while Clint Windsor made all three saves on the Erie shooters to win the game for the Spirit 8-7.

Grind Line Night! - On March 9th the Saginaw Spirit welcome Detroit Red Wings Grind Line members Kris Draper, Joe Kocur, and Darren McCarty to The Dow Event Center. The trio will be signing autographs in the Blue Line Club prior to the game and dropping the puck. The Grind Line is presented by Site Management Services, Maier and Associates, and Causley Trucking. For all ticket information, please contact the Spirit at 989-497-7747 or visit the Official Saginaw Spirit Ticket and Merchandise Store at 5789 State Street in Saginaw. Tickets can also be purchased at SaginawSpirit.com or any TicketMaster Outlet.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 2, 2012


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