Otters fall 6-3 to Windsor
Erie, Pennsylvania – The Otters dropped their first home game of 2015 to the Windsor Spitfires 6-3 with the final two goals coming from the empty net. Dylan Strome scored his 71st point of the season and Alex DeBrincat notched point number 60 in the loss.
An early power play gave Windsor a chance 3:31 into the game from Trevor Murphy. After a couple of huge chances for the Otters including a puck off the post, the Spitfires took the puck to the other end. Devin Williams was bowled over into the net and Mason Marchment carried the puck into the Windsor zone on a delayed penalty before putting the puck behind Brendan Johnston from Jesse Saban and Kyle Pettit.
Logan Brown gave the Spitfires the lead back, but with the Otters on the power play, Nick Betz scored the equalizer from Kurtis MacDermid and Pettit. Kyle Maksimovich was hit hard into the boards by Murphy in the Windsor end, causing older brother Quentin Maksimovich to be led directly to the penalty box from the ensuing scrum for roughing. Cory Genovese and Hayden McCool dropped the gloves, both sent off for fighting. Murphy was given a five-minute major for checking from behind. The power play was cut short for the Otters as a slashing penalty to Betz finished off the final two minutes, bringing play to four-on-four to end the period.
Windsor continued their power play scoring in the second frame. With Dermott in the box, McCool put the Spitfires up 3-2 seven seconds into the man advantage. Strome tied the game again at three on an Otters power play from DeBrincat and Dermott before MacDermid went to the box for checking to the head after a big hit along the near boards. With Dermott back in the box, Sam Povorozniouk put Windsor up 4-3. The Otters nearly tied the game to end the period after the puck hit the post, but after a quick review, it was deemed a no-goal going into intermission.
Penalties ended up being the nail in the coffin for the night. After the Spitfires killed an interference call on Patrick Sanvido, the play went back and forth with more close chances for the Otters. The Otters called Williams to the bench for the extra attacker with just under three minutes to go. Windsor started into the Erie zone and Dermott broke up the initial chance, but Markus Soberg flipped the puck into the empty net. Erie took one more chance, pulling Wililams again, but Windsor carried the puck again for the 6-3 final.
Strome (6), Betz (6), DeBrincat (4), Dermott (4), and MacDermid (2) all extended their point streaks in the loss.
The Otters head to Sarnia on Thursday to take on the Sting before traveling to London Friday in the first half of a home and home that concludes Sunday at home.
The Iron Worker’s Local Union No. 3 Ironmen of the Game:
3. Sam Povorozniouk – 1G, 2A
2. Kyle Pettit – 2A
1. Logan Brown – 1G, 2A
