NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Earn Fifth Straight Victory at the Dow Event Center in 5-3 Win over Sting

January 5, 2020 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw, MI. - The Saginaw Spirit extended their home winning streak to five games with a 5-3 victory over the West Division rival Sarnia Sting Sunday evening at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.  Saginaw has won eight of their last nine games overall and are undefeated in the four games this season against the Sting.

2020 NHL Draft prospect Cole Perfetti extended his point streak to eight games with a goal and assist in the victory. In those eight games, Perfetti has seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points.

After an early penalty call to overage defenseman D.J. Busdeker, Saginaw goaltender Marshall Frappier was tested from Sarnia Sting leading scorer Sean Josling on the power play.  Josling received a pass at the right point and drifted down to the top of the right face-off circle.  The overager wound up and hammered a slapshot that was denied by a Frappier pad save.

Sarnia had another scoring opportunity just over eight minutes into the first period with a breakaway chance from rookie Ty Voit.  Voit was hit with a long stretch pass to the Saginaw blueline and came down all alone on Frappier.  The Sarnia right-winger deked to his right and then back to his backhand for an attempt to stuff the puck past Frappier but the Spirit netminder held tough and kept the puck out to keep the game scoreless.

Philadelphia Flyers prospect Mason Millman nearly gave Saginaw the lead with just over five minutes left in the first period on an individual effort.  The Spirit defenseman used his speed to fly wide right past a Sarnia defender and cut towards the goal.  Millman tried to stuff the puck past Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Jordan Kooy but Sarnia's goaltender kept the pad down to keep the game scoreless.

2020 NHL Draft prospect Jacob Perreault gave the Sting a first period lead with his 23rd goal of the season.  The Sarnia right-winger came out from behind the right side of the Saginaw goal and spun toward his forehand to roof a wrist shot over Frappier's left shoulder to give the Sting a 1-0 lead with 1:59 left in the opening period.

The Spirit answered just 30 seconds later with 'A' rated 2020 NHL Draft prospect Cole Perfetti's 22nd goal of the season.  Saginaw Spirit captain Damien Giroux chipped a puck past a Sting defenseman, who pinched at the Spirit blueline to spring Perfetti and New York Islanders prospect Cole Coskey on a two-on-one rush.  After Perfetti saw the Sarnia defenseman had taken away the pass, the Saginaw center sniped a wrist shot past Kooy to tie the game 1-1 with just 1:01 left in the first period.  The goal extended the Whitby, Ontario native point streak to seven games.

The Spirit and Sting went into the first intermission tied 1-1 despite a 15-10 shot advantage for Sarnia.

Saginaw nearly took the lead after second period play began on a nice passing play in the Sarnia zone.  Perfetti saw the Saginaw right-winger Coskey cut towards the slot and fired a cross ice pass towards the forward.  The Zion, Illinois native Coskey pulled the puck to the backhand and tried to slide the puck into the net.  The Sting netminder stretched his legs wide and kept the puck out with his left pad.

The Spirit took the lead 7:38 into the second period of play on 2019 New York Islander seventh-round pick Cole Coskey's 19th goal of the season.  Coskey drove the net after Perfetti sent a pass towards the front of the net from the left half wall.  Coskey was knocked down in front of the crease but the puck bounced off the forward into the back of the net for the goal.  After a video review of the play, the goal stood to give Saginaw a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Saginaw, Michigan native Mitchell Smith extended the Spirit lead with 5:22 left in the second period with his sixth of the season and second in the last two games.  2020 NHL Draft prospect Ethan Cardwell poked the puck past a Sarnia player to the rookie defenseman at the left circle.  Smith fired a wrist shot from the left face-off dot over Kooy's shoulder to give Saginaw a 3-1 lead.

The Spirit furthered the lead with just 21 seconds left in the middle from on Cardwell's 12th of the season.  Mason Millman's point shot was deflected down by forward Jake Goldowski right onto Cardwell stick to the left of the Sarnia crease.  Kooy was unable to react in time and the Spirit rookie hammered the puck into the open side of the Sting net to give the Spirit the 4-1 lead as they went into the second intermission.

Shots on goal turned around in the second period and Saginaw outshot Sarnia 16-2 in the middle frame.

Grand Blanc, Michigan native Dalton Duhart scored the Spirit's fifth unanswered goal just 1:57 into the third period.  Overager D.J. Busdeker went wide around a Sarnia defender to the right corner in the Sting zone and centered a to Duhart in the slot.  Duhart fired a quick shot from the bottom of the right circle top-shelf past the Sting goaltender for his sixth goal of the season.

After Saginaw's Ilya Solovyov was called for a high-sticking minor, overage forward Ryan McGregor brought the Sting back to within three goals.  The former Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick was hit with a pass to split the Spirit defense for a breakaway opportunity.  McGregor fired a wrist shot from the hash marks over Frappier's blocker for his 15th goal of the season.

Jacob Perreault cut into the Saginaw lead further 7:12 into the third frame with his second goal of the game.  Sean Josling centered a pass for Perreault to one-time in the Saginaw slot top-shelf to make it a 5-3 Saginaw Spirit lead.

Sarnia's McGregor nearly pulled the Sting back to within a goal on a shorthanded breakaway chance with just under 12 minutes left in regulation.  With Owen Saye penalized with a hooking minor, McGregor was hit with a stretch pass for the breakaway.  The forward attempted to deke Frappier to his backhand but the Spirit goaltender stayed with the puck and kept the two-goal lead safe for Saginaw.

Frappier and the Saginaw defense withstood a barrage late from the Sting with their net empty to defeat Sarnia 5-3 for their fifth-straight home victory.

Applebee's Three Stars of the Game:

Ethan Cardwell (SAG) G, A +2

Jacob Perreault (SAR) 2G

Cole Perfetti (SAG) G, A +3

The Saginaw Spirit start a home-and-home series to continue the I-75 Divide Rivalry against the in-state rival Flint Firebirds Wednesday, January 8 to finish up the three-game home stand.  It is the fifth of eight regular season meetings between the West Division foes and the Spirit are 3-1-0-0 against the Firebirds through the first four games this season.  Puck drop from the Wendler Arena inside The Dow Event Center begins at 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday is the Eat Great Food Festival at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.  Former Saginaw Spirit and current Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek autographed photo packages will be available for purchase in the Budweiser Red Room prior to the game against the Sting starting at 5:30 p.m.

Fans can catch the action on the flagship WSGW Newsradio 100.5 FM and www.wsgw.com with Art Lewis and the voice of Saginaw Spirit hockey Joey Battaino on the call.  "Countdown to Face-off" with host Charley Porter begins 15 minutes prior to puck drop.

To purchase tickets to any Saginaw Spirit home game call (989) 497-7747, visit www.saginawspirit.com, or visit the Saginaw Spirit Store at 5789 State Street, Saginaw MI.

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Ontario Hockey League message board...

Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 5, 2020


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