Otters win season opener in OT
It took an extra period for the Otters to complete their first game of the 2015-16 season, but it was well worth it. Erie beat the Windsor Spitfires 4-3 in overtime at WFCU Center in Windsor to begin the new campaign.
Kyle Pettit scored the first Otters goal of the 2015-16 season five minutes into the first period to put Erie ahead 1-0. Nick Betz and Darren Raddysh picked up their first points of the year with assists on the play. The lead would last just 21 seconds as the Spitfires Christian Fischer got one past Devin Williams to make it 1-1.
The score would remain tied at 1 going into the second period, until the Otters would work there way into the lead eight minutes into the period. Kyle Maksimovich picked up a loose puck and wristed it past Michael Giugovaz to take the 2-1 lead. Travis Dermott tallied the assist. The Otters got into some penalty trouble after their second goal and were faced with two power plays to kill in the final five minutes of the period. They successfully killed the first, but Windsor’s Bradley Latour capitalized on the delay of game penalty to Jordan Sambrook and tied the game 2-2.
The Otters weren’t able to pick up the first goal of the third period as they did in periods one and two. The Spitfires tallied their third of the game when Anthony Stefano scored off a three-on-one opportunity 2:11 into the period. Windsor tightened up defensively to keep the Otters off the board going into the final minutes of regulation. Erie would pull Devin Williams with about two minutes remaining and the move would pay off, as Taylor Raddysh deflected one in with 1:15 remaining to tie the game and eventually send the game to overtime.
It took just one game into the new season for these teams to try out the new three-on-three overtime format. Both teams had plenty of open ice in extra period and created some exciting chances. Darren Raddysh would be the hero for the Otters scoring the game-winning goal from Maksimovich just over two minutes into the five-minute period. Raddysh had two game-winning goals all of last season.
Williams earned his first win in net for Erie, stopping 28 Windsor shots on 31 attempts. Giugovaz had 26 saves on 30 shot attempts by Erie.
Erie’s road trip to open the season continues tomorrow, September 25, in Sarnia against the Sting. Puck drops at 7:05.
The Iron Workers Local Union No. 3 Ironmen of the Game:
1) Bradley Latour – 1 G, 2 A
2) Christian Fischer- 1 G
3) Darren Raddysh – GW goal, 1 A
