67’s complete perfect weekend, down Spitfires
The Ottawa 67’s picked a good day to have a big day on Sunday, taking down the West Division’s top team, the Windsor Spitfires, 5-4.
Despite the gap between the two clubs in the standings, it was the 67’s setting the tone in the first period. Midway through the frame, the officials convened at the penalty box for a review, assessing the Spitfires a four-minute double minor for high sticking, sending Ottawa to the man advantage.
With a minute and 20 seconds to go in the power play, birthday boy Will Gerrior opened the scoring, finding a small gap between the goaltender’s arm and body. Two minutes later, Brad Horner threw a shot on net from the blue line, which caught the netminder off guard, finding the back of the net.
Down by a pair, the West Division’s top team got one back courtesy of Jean-Christoph Lemieux, using traffic in front of the net to sneak a shot through.
The Barber Poles showed no signs of slowing down, however, taking fewer than 30 seconds to respond. Though Gerrior’s stick was knocked off the puck, and the rubber was subsequently tipped, it reached Filip Ekberg, who banged it into the open net, putting an exclamation mark on a great first period for the 67’s.
The iron continued to burn hot in the second, quickly kicking off with a highlight reel goal by 67’s forward Chase Yanni. Though a couple of defenders he dangled, before beating the goaltender on the breakaway.
Luca Pinelli saw the noteworthy marker and decided he needed one of his own, picking off a pass at the top of the circles, before faking to his forehand, and tucking a backhand shot home through the five-hole.
Then, it became the Spitfires show to finish the second, as the big names took over. First, Luke McNamara, and then Liam Greentree and Ilya Protas inside the final minute of the frame, and all of a sudden, it was a one-goal game, with the 67’s leading 5-4 heading into the locker room.
The clamps came out in the third period for both sides and the 67’s hung on, earning a 5-4 win.
Box score
| Teams | Score | Shots on goal | Power plays |
| Ottawa | 5 | 19 | 1/3 |
| Windsor | 4 | 40 | 0/4 |
First period
1-0: OTT #23 Will Gerrior (28) scores. Assists: #20 Luca Pinelli, #22 Matthew Mayich POWER PLAY
2-0: OTT #5 Bradley Horner (2) scores. Assists: #20 Luca Pinelli, #18 Jack Dever
2-1: WSR #22 Jean-Christoph Lemieux (9) scores. Assists: #24 Carson Woodall
3-1: OTT #34 Filip Ekberg (13) scores. Assists: #23 Will GerriorI
Second Period
4-1: OTT #16 Chase Yanni (6) scores. Assists: #28 Caden Kelly, #8 Frankie Marrelli
5-1: OTT #20 Luca Pinelli (31) scores.
5-2: WSR #29 Luke McNamara (11) scores. Assists: #2 Wyatt Kennedy, #71 Jack Nesbitt
5-3: WSR #66 Liam Greentree (43) scores. Assists: #77 Ethan Garden, #24 Carson Woodall
5-4: WSR #37 Ilya Protas (43) scores. Assists: #12 Ryan Abraham, #66 Liam Greentree
Third Period
No scoring
Up next
The 67’s will start next weekend on the road, taking on the Peterborough Petes in the first leg of a home-and-home series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.
