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OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Offense Bounces Back in 6-4 Loss to Erie

January 17, 2022 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Erie, PA - The Saginaw Spirit saw their winless streak extended to four games Monday afternoon with a 6-4 loss at the Erie Insurance arena to the Otters. It was the first time in four trips that the Spirit did not leave Erie with at least one point.

The Spirit offense had been frustrated in previous games, but Saginaw was back on the road, where they score more than twice as many goals than at home. It didn't take the Spirit long to reignite the spark with overage forward Nick Wong sliding home his 11th goal of the season at 11:57 of the opening period. That goal ended 83:44 of scoreless hockey for the Spirit over their last seven periods. It was only 50 seconds later that the Spirit would extend their lead courtesy of Calem Mangone. Mangone was the beneficiary of a beautiful blind pass on the backhand from Matyas Sapovaliv. The Spirit held a two-goal lead going into the second period because of key stops from Rookie goaltender Andrew Oke. Oke stopped a Noah Sedore breakaway early in the game, and then a two-on-none break for the Otters, with a miraculous save.

Erie would break through on a odd-man rush that Colby Saganiuk took advantage of for his seventh goal of the season. Noah Sedore found him coming into the play late and uncontested for the first Erie goal. At 8:08, the Otters took advantage of their new found momentum and tied the game on a goal from Vancouver Canucks prospect Connor Lockhart. He cleanly beat Spirit goalie Oke with a high-shot over his glove to tie the game, 2-2. Saginaw only received two power play opportunities in the game, but made good on one in the second period. Saginaw native Mitchell Smith shattered the water bottle on top of the net with a blistering wrist shot over the shoulder of Erie goalie Marshall Nicholls. Roberto Mancini and Calem Mangone drew the assists on the goal. Off the ensuing faceoff, Evan Klein chip the puck down the boards to Nick Wong, who scored again just eight seconds after the Smith goal to make it 4-2 in favor of the road team. Their two-goal bulge did not last long, as Elias Cohen, who was stoned by Oke just moments before, was the beneficiary of a face-off play that Daniel D'Amato went forward and Cohen was all along in front of Oke. This made the score 4-3 heading into the final frame.

The Spirit were 8-1-0-0 coming into Monday afternoon when leading after two periods, but it the Otters who seemed to be on the attack throughout the period. The Otters tied the game at 4:48 when Ryan Thompson scored his first OHL goal on a breakaway pass from Daniel D'Amato. He made no mistake as he labeled the puck to the top corner on Oke. The Spirit never found their footing in the period, generating only four shots on goal. Erie took their first lead of the game when Carey Terrance broke in on a two-on-one. His backhand pass across deflected off of the Spirit defenseman and past Andrew Oke, who ended up being crashed into and slid into the net. Terrance was given credit for the goal. The Spirit pulled Oke for an extra skater, but Lockhart quickly filled it to give Erie the 6-4 decision. The Otters have now won five of their last six games, while the Spirit have dropped four straight.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2022


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