Otters open season with 7-1 win over Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan – Erie’s offense exploded in Saginaw to bring home a 7-1 win in the opening game of the regular season against the Spirit. Nick Betz notched two goals in the first period, leading the way for the Otters’ decisive road victory and their first season opener win since 2010.
The Otters started off the regular season with a bang, coming out strong in the first period. Despite and early goal from Tye Felhaber putting Saginaw up 1-0, Betz tied up the score with a goal at 4:42, Dylan Strome and Mason Marchment picking up the assists. Connor McDavid had several good chances, as did Marchment, but Betz gave the Otters the lead with the game-winning goal at 7:06, with Marchment and Strome notching their second assists on the night.
Erie had their first power play opportunity of the game with Jacob Ringuette taking an elbowing minor, but Saginaw killed the penalty. That wasn’t enough to keep Erie off the scoreboard. With just under five minutes to play in the first, Darren Raddysh gave the Otters a 3-1 lead to take into the second period with help from Joel Wigle and McDavid.
After the quick start to the first, the second period took a little longer to boil over. Dylan Sadowy gave the Otters their second power play of the game with a kneeing minor, but Erie was unable to capitalize despite solid chances by McDavid and Alex DeBrincat. Marchment’s first OHL goal gave the Otters a 4-1 lead with help from Strome and Betz, and the floodgates were open. 13 seconds later, Patrick Fellows made it 5-1 unassisted. Alex DeBrincat and Joel Wigle needed just another two minutes to give the Otters a five-goal lead over the Spirit. Brandon Prophet went to the box for high sticking, but Saginaw was able to kill the third Spirit penalty of the night without another Otters goal to close out the period.
The third period started off quietly before some shoving turned into a scrum, but no penalties were awarded. DeBrincat had a beautiful chance on a pass from McDavid, but the shot went just wide. Strome added one final goal to give the Otters a 7-1 final before tensions overflowed. Wigle and Ringuette kicked off the extracurriculars, dropping the gloves at 12:29, both receiving fighting majors. Another scrum broke out around Devin Williams, resulting in five penalties and Saginaw’s first power play of the night. Erie’s penalties went to DeBrincat for slashing, Cory Genovese for roughing, and Raddysh for unsportsmanlike conduct to coincide with Saginaw’s Sean Callaghan’s roughing and Sadowy’s unsportsmanlike conduct.
But that wasn’t all. Erie’s Jesse Saban and Saginaw’s Connor Brown added their own fighting majors to the penalty list for the night, before Genovese took the game’s final penalty, a minor for cross checking. Erie killed both power plays to finish off the victory.
The Otters continue their road trip Friday night against the Windsor Spitfires at 7:35.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3’s Hardest Working 3 Stars of the Game:
3. Mason Marchment – 1G, 2A
2. Nick Betz – 2G, 2A
1. Dylan Strome – 1G, 3A
