Otters top Spitfires 5-2, start season 2-0
Windsor, Ontario – Nick Betz led the Otters with his second two-goal game of the road trip in the Otters 5-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires, advancing to 2-0 on the season.
Loosely following the script from Wednesday night’s opener in Saginaw, the Spitfires jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal from Mark Manchurek. The Otters had an early power play opportunity at 5:06 with Logan Stanley in the box for delay of game, but Erie was unable to capitalize. Two sets of back-to-back coincidental minors amounted to four minutes of four-on-four hockey. TJ Fergus and Ryan Moore took the first set at 7:33, both for roughing, while the second came at 10:14 with Cory Genovese taking a cross checking minor, and Windsor’s Nikita Yazkov heading off for high sticking.
Neither team scored with the open ice, but Windsor’s Chris Marchese scored his first OHL goal since December 13, 2012 to put the Spitfires up 2-0. Barely a minute later, Nick Betz continued his scoring tear from Wednesday night to cut the Windsor lead in half with help from Dylan Strome and Genovese. The Otters went on the power play to end the period with Markus Soberg called for roughing.
Connor McDavid wasted no time to begin the second, picking up the puck on a turnover and putting it behind Windsor net minder Alex Fotinos 46 seconds in to tie the game at two. Strome and Kyle Maksimovich picked up assists for Maksimovich’s first point in the OHL. Fergus headed back into the penalty box with a minor for holding, but Windsor offset the power play with a minor for too many men.
Mason Marchment took a turn in the penalty box for tripping, but it wasn’t until Taylor Raddysh headed off for holding that the Otters pulled ahead. McDavid set up Betz shorthanded for his second two-goal game of the season and the Otters 3-2 lead. Betz was called for high sticking at 19:32, and Windsor took the penalty into intermission.
Erie killed off the remainder of the Betz penalty to start the third. The period started off quietly before Raddysh scored his first OHL goal with help from Strome and older brother Darren Raddysh. Jesse Saban went from the penalty box to his first OHL goal, giving the Otters their final 5-2 advantage over Windsor with help from McDavid. Windsor’s Moore finished off the penalty sheet for the night with a match penalty for slew footing, giving the Otters a five minute power play which the Spitfires killed to end the game.
The Otters finish off their opening week road trip in Plymouth Saturday night against the Whalers at 7:05 before heading back to Erie for their home opener October 4 against the Sarnia Sting.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3’s Hardest Working 3 Stars of the Game:
3. Dylan Strome – 3A
2. Nick Betz – 2G
1. Connor McDavid – 1G, 2A
