OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Seek Redemption in Sault Ste. Marie Friday Night

December 1, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. - The Saginaw Spirit (14-8-0-1) visit the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (16-7-2-0) is in the second half of a home-and-home on Friday, December 1st, at GFL Memorial Gardens.

Tonight's Game:

Puck drop is at 7:07 PM

Broadcast

Television: CHL TV, CHL App

Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com

Last Time:

Saginaw last faced off against the Soo on Wednesday, November 29th, at the Dow Event Center, losing 4-3 to end a ten-game win streak. Zayne Parekh had a three-point night (1G, 2A), Joey Willis had a goal and an assist, and Soo's Bryce McConnell-Barker netted two goals, including the game-winner. Andrew Oke started for the Spirit, stopping 17 of 21, while Charlie Schenkel guarded the pipes for the Greyhounds, stopping 35 of 38.

This Season:

Saginaw and Sault Ste. Marie have played two games this season, one on November 29th and the other on October 27th at the Dow Event Center. The October 27th game saw the Greyhounds win 5-4 in the shootout. Michael Misa opened the scoring in the first until Sault Ste. Marie scored four straight. Saginaw crawled back, with Misa scoring the game-tying goal with six seconds remaining in the third period. Brenden Sirizzotti scored the lone goal in the shootout, cementing the win for the Greyhounds. Nolan Lalonde manned the crease for the Spirit, saving 22 of 26, while Charlie Schenkel finished the win by saving 20 of 24.

Saginaw's last win while at GLF Memorial Gardens was on February 15th, where the Spirit won 6-2 and Zayne Parekh set the OHL record for goals by a U16 defenseman (20).

Players to Watch:

Zayne Parekh (9G, 22A) leads the Saginaw Spirit in points with 31 points, with Saginaw's top goal scorer, Michael Misa (12G, 18A), sitting just one point behind at 30 points. Matayas Sapovaliv (11G, 18A) is currently on a four-game point streak collecting 12 points (4G, 8A) in that time frame, and has continued to do well in the faceoff circle, sporting a 55.6% face-off percentage (FO%), so far this year. Andrew Oke has continued a strong season, leading all Spirit goaltenders with a 2.66 goals against average (GAA), a .905 save percentage (SV%), and 10 wins on the year.

Jack Beck currently leads the Greyhounds in points with 28 (8G, 20A), with Arttu Karki not far behind with 26, including a team-leading 15 goals. 10 of Karki's 15 goals are powerplay markers, tying him for first in the league. Travis Hayes is tied for second among rookie point-getters, collecting seven goals and ten assists for a collective 17 points. Charlie Schenkel leads all major Greyhound goaltending categories with a 3.20 GAA, .880 SV%, and 11 wins.

Saginaw currently has seven (7) players with ties to the National Hockey League (NHL), including Joey Willis (Nashville), Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas), Hunter Haight (Minnesota), Ethan Hay (Tampa Bay), Braden Haché (Florida), Rodwin Dionicio (Anaheim) and Nolan Lalonde (Columbus, FA).

Sault Ste. Marie currently has five (5) players drafted to the National Hockey League (NHL), including Jack Beck (Calgary), Bryce McConnell-Barker (NY Rangers), Andrew Gibson (Detriot), Kirill Kudryavtsev (Vancouver), and Arttu Karki (Vegas).

Check out the Saginaw Spirit Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 1, 2023


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