Burns Stops 30/33 in Relief, Otters Fall in High-Scoring Affair
Erie, Pennsylvania – It’s good to be home! For the first time in the new year, the Erie Otters would return to the Erie Insurance Arena. After a late return home following an emotional loss to divisional foe Kitchener, Erie would look to get back to their winning ways. With Pro Wrestling Night alongside Big League Pro, plenty of zany, high-flying fun was expected for a Saturday night. With the Windsor Spitfires in town, Erie would look to sweep the home portion of the series against their Western Conference foes.
The Otters were ready to rumble from the first drop of the puck. With the first shot of the game, Pano Fimis (12) would rip open the game 2:45 into the period and leave the Windsor Spitfires, on a six-game win streak, reeling. Less than two minutes later, Martin Misiak (11) would drop an elbow of his own and slip the puck right past Spitfires’ goaltender Joey Costanzo and extend the Otters’ lead 2-0. Smellin’ what the rest of his teammates were cooking, Gabriel Frasca (8) would bully the puck past Costanzo and pull the Otters up 3-0 in just over five minutes. Down by three, the Spitfires would switch their netminders, putting in Michael Newlove for the first time since preseason. The Spitfires would strike back with Jean-Christoph Lemiuex (7), cutting the Otters’ lead to 3-1 at 8:44 in the first. What was once a wide open game in a matter of minutes would close just as quickly. Anthony Frisoforo (7) would make this a one-goal game halfway through the period to cut the Erie momentum down. The surging Spitfires would knot this game up with Liam Greentree (27) slipping the puck past Noah Erliden, who would be changed out for Charlie Burns with 6:34 left in the frame. Both teams would wrestle to pull ahead in the final minutes of the frame, but the Otters would return to the locker room tied 3-3.
The second period would open and both teams would come out swinging to try and pull ahead. Charlie Burns would answer the call and pull off numerous saves in the opening minutes to keep the period scoreless. The Otters would go on the powerplay in the first six minutes after a Windsor holding call on Ryan Abraham. The man-advantage would expire, Erie unable to capitalize, and it would be Ryan Abraham to give the Spitfires their first lead and their fourth unanswered goal ten seconds after exiting the penalty box. Windsor would further extend their lead four minutes later with Ethan Martin (4) finding the back of the net and putting the Spitfires up 5-3. The Otters would go on their first penalty kill after Sam Alfano would get booked for slashing. AJ Spellacy for the Spitfires would be sent to the box with 18 seconds left on the Erie PK, and brief four-on-four play would commence before Alfano would return to the ice. Alexis Daviault would be sent to the box as Spellacy would leave in another trade of penalties. The Otters would be able to kill their second penalty of the night and even-strength play would resume for the rest of the period. Both teams would trade blows, but neither would be able to find the back of the net and the period would end 5-2.
The Otters would have twenty minutes left to make things right. Erie would go into the third period being outshot 32-14, but they would draw blood within the first two minutes of the period to cut down the Windsor lead. Callum Hughes (6) would make it a 5-4 game with eighteen minutes left to play. Not two minutes later, Sam Alfano (21) would knot this game up for the first time since the first period and give new life to the Erie offense. Michael Newlove, a first round pick in the U18 Draft, would step up in a clutch moment to keep the Otters from retaking the lead while Charlie Burns would pull his weight on the opposite side of the ice. With nine minutes left, the Otters would return to the penalty kill, and with less than a minute left on the man-advantage, Ethan Belchetz (11) would pull the Spitfires ahead 6-5. The Otters would pull the net in the final two and a half minutes in a last ditch effort to force an extra period. Despite being a man down, the Spitfires would be able to skate around a defender for an empty net goal to secure themselves a 7-5 win in the final minutes.
The Erie Otters prepare for their first three-game week of 2025 – and it is a truly historic one. After a Wednesday night in Guelph, the Otters will welcome the Saginaw Spirit to town for Connor McDavid Jersey Retirement Night (pres. By Rebich Investments & Erie Apparel), as the most legendary of all Otter alumni returns home to see his number go to the rafters forever. Fans will be welcomed out with a giveaway for all in attendance, and plenty more fun to be announced. After an incredible Friday night downtown, Erie will close the weekend on Saturday with the Sarnia Sting for Youth Sports Night, featuring a Ty Henry Bobblehead night.
