GAME PREVIEW: Spirit at Niagara IceDogs – 1/9/25

Category: ArticleJanuary 9, 2025

St. Catherines, Ont. - The Saginaw Spirit (19-17-1-0) visit the Niagara IceDogs (23-12-2-1) on Thursday, January 9th at the Meridian Centre.

Tonight’s Game:

Puck drop is at 7:00 PM.

Broadcast:

Radio: 100.5 WSGW, WSGW.com

TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak

Last Game:

Saginaw last played on Saturday, January 4th where they defeated the Soo Greyhounds 5-0. Kristian Epperson scored a goal and picked up three assists while Andrew Oke stopped all 24 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.

Niagara last played on Sunday, January 4th where they fell to the Windsor Spitfires 4-3 in overtime. Ryan Roobroeck, Max Crete and Noah Van Filet all scored for the IceDogs.

This Season:

Saginaw and Niagara have faced off once so far this season with the Spirit coming out in top 6-3 on December 29th. The Spirit scored the lone goal in the first period, giving them a 1-0 lead going into the second period. Calem Mangone found the back of the net 1:12 into the second as Saginaw went up 2-0. Niagara then scored two goals 1:23 apart to tie the game. Both teams scored later in the period making it a 3-3 game going into the third. Saginaw scored three times in the period with Carson Harner completing his first OHL hat-trick and leading Saginaw to a 6-3 win.

Players to Watch:

Newly named captain Michael Misa is currently second in the OHL in points with 66. Misa has 32 goals in 34 games, which has him tied for the league goal scoring lead. Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke is coming off his first shutout of the season. In 15 games this season Oke has a 3.53 goals against average and a .882 save percentage. Kristian Epperson is coming off a spectacular four-point performance against the Soo on Saturday tallying a goal and three assists. The Spirit are also expected to see the debuts of defenseman Xander Velliaris and forward Ethan Weir, who were acquired on Tuesday in a trade with Kingston. The Spirit also signed defenseman Hayden Barch earlier in the week, and his OHL debut could come as early as Thursday night in Niagara.

Ryan Roobroeck is currently fourth in the OHL in goals with 28. Roobroeck has recorded a point in each of his last four games totaling three goals and three assists in that span. Jets prospect Kevin He is second on his team in points and goals. In 36 games He has 24 goals and 29 assists (49P). Braidy Wassilyn is third in points amongst rookies in the OHL with 26. In 32 games played Wassilyn has six goals and 20 assists.

Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players: