Zayne Parekh's Three-Point Night Carries Saginaw to OT Win in Erie

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OHL Erie Otters

Zayne Parekh's Three-Point Night Carries Saginaw to OT Win in Erie

April 1, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Erie, Pennsylvania - Games 1 & 2 in Saginaw? Simply a business trip for the Erie Otters. Despite Saginaw's home ice advantage, the Otters would go into the Dow Event Center, and take 8-5 and 9-5 victories back to northwest Pennsylvania. With the job finished on the road, Erie would have the opportunity to not have to return to the Great Lakes Bay Region by taking care of business on home ice. Thus brought Erie and Saginaw into game three on Thursday night, for the first home game of the playoff series on Erie's side. With Nic Sima and Jacob Cloutier returning to the lineup tonight, Saginaw would look to get one back in a must-win game.

It would be April Fools, but Erie's first home game of the OHL playoffs would be no laughing matter. Erie would apply heavy pressure, haunting Kaleb Papineau with the previous two games' many goals. The Otters would have the first power play of the game but be unable to capitalize. The Saginaw Spirit, defending Memorial Cup champs, wouldn't record their first shot until seven minutes into the period. While knocking on Saginaw's door, the Otters would return to the power play. 48 seconds into the man-advantage, Sam Alfano (3) would strike first on home ice to give Erie a 1-0 lead halfway through the period. The Spirit's best chance would come in the final two minutes in the first, where Erie's Noah Erliden and Nathan Sauder would handle a one-on-one opportunity with ease. Both teams would see a player sent to the box in the final 85 seconds, ending the period with four-on-four play. Noah Erliden would send the crowd to their feet in the final 42 seconds with a save that, after review, would send the Otters into the locker rooms with a 1-0 lead.

The second period would begin, Otters outshooting the Spirit 12-7 and with 35 seconds remaining on both teams' penalties. An Erliden save on Michael Misa's breakaway would mark the return to five-on-five play. Erie would go on their first penalty kill of the game just under the four-minute mark, where they would have to weather a surging Spirit offense to keep them from getting on the scoreboard. Both teams would trade blows for the majority of the period, and it wouldn't be until halfway through the period that Zayne Parekh (1) would equalize and make it a 1-1 game. Two minutes later, the Spirit would extend their lead 2-1. Trailing for the first time in Game Three, the Otters would return to the locker rooms after a second period that was Saginaw all over.

The Otters would stir up offensive pressure of their own after a second period dominated by the Spirit, knocking on Kaleb Papineau's door once again. Erie would return to the power play five minutes in, and with less than a minute left on Dylan Edwards' tripping penalty, a Saginaw Spirit would join him in the box. With Erie's penalty killed cleanly, the Otters would have just one minute on the power play. Unable to take advantage, even strength play would resume. In the final two minutes, Erie would pull Noah Erliden and add a sixth man to try and force an OT. Erie's risky move would pay off as Malcolm Spence (3) would bully the puck past Kaleb Papineau with 12 seconds left. As the crowd would come alive, the game would go into overtime.

There would be no time to waste for Erie in overtime. The Otters applied heavy offensive pressure from the start and, on the other end, Noah Erliden and the Otters' defense would remain up to task through the opening seven minutes. Erie would breach the 40-shot mark with 11:33 left to play. Zayne Parekh (2) would find his second of the night, ensuring both a Saginaw victory and at least a Game Five.

Erie continues to hold a series lead at 2-1, as the two teams will enjoy an off day tomorrow. A critical game four takes place on Thursday evening at the Erie Insurance Arena, with Erie looking to take a stranglehold on the series, and Saginaw looks to knot it up heading home.

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