GAME PREVIEW: Spirit close weekend in Kitchener with Sunday matinee

Saginaw, Mich. –  The Saginaw Spirit (8-5-1-0) visit the Kitchener Rangers (11-2-1-1) on Sunday, November 3rd at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

Today’s Game:

Puck drop is at 2:00 PM.

Broadcast:

Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com

TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak

Last Game:

Saginaw visited Owen Sound where they defeated the Attack 6-2 on Saturday, November 2nd. After a quiet first period, Saginaw opened the scoring 2:11 into the second period with Nic Sima scoring his second goal of the season. The Spirit struck again as Calem Mangone buried his fifth goal of the season. Just under two minutes later Zayne Parekh, found the back of the net on the powerplay to give the Spirit a 3-0 lead that they would take into the third period. Just 35 seconds into the third period, Saginaw capitalized again on the powerplay with Nic Sima’s second goal of the game. Owen Sound responded with two goals which cut Saginaw’s lead in half at 4-2. The Spirit added more insurance with Sebastien Gervais’ first of the season and Michael Misa’s 18th for a 6-2 final.

The Rangers beat the Sudbury Wolves 8-4 in Kitchener on Friday, November 1st. After opening tallies from Matt Andonovski and Luca Romano, a Jakub Chromiak powerplay goal sent the Rangers into the first intermission up 3-1. They found themselves up by four at the end of two, and Adrian Misaljevic completed a six-point night (3G, 3A) with an empty net goal to close out the Wolves. Trent Swick finished the night with a goal and three assists, and Jason Schaubel stopped 18 of 22 for the Rangers to secure his third career win. The Rangers have now won eight straight contests and have points in 13 straight (11-0-1-1). Their last regulation loss came back on September 28th in Windsor.

This Season:

Kitchener claimed the first meeting between the two teams on October 12th in Saginaw. After ties at 2-2 and 3-3, the Rangers began to pull away in the third period with goals from Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick. A pair of Kitchener empty net goals set a 7-4 score in their victory, with Misaljevic registering a four-point game (2G, 2A). Joey Willis was a bright spot for Saginaw in the loss, with a goal and two assists.

Players to Watch:

Michael Misa is currently riding a 14-game point streak which he extended by recording two points against Owen Sound last night. In 14 games this season, Misa has tallied 28 points in the form of 18 goals and ten assists. Misa also has goals in six straight contests. Kristian Epperson has tallied a point in ten of 13 games this season for a total of 20 points (6G, 14A). Epperson tallied a goal and an assist in one game against Kitchener this season, and registered three assists last night in Owen Sound. Dima Zhilkin skated in his first career OHL game against the Attack, registering an assist. Saginaw’s first round pick in 2024 spent a large portion of the game with Sebastien Gervais and Calem Mangone while also seeing time on the team’s second powerplay unit.

Adrian Misaljevic is leading the Rangers in points and goals this season (12G-13A—25P). He is coming off a six-point performance where he recorded a hat-trick and three assists against Sudbury. In one game against Saginaw this season Misaljevic tallied four points (2G, 2A). Vegas prospect Trent Swick is coming off a four-point performance where he tallied a goal and three assists. Against the Spirit this season, Swick recorded a goal and two assists and has 15 points total on the season. Former first round pick Luca Romano played well against Saginaw on October 11th, where he tallied a goal and an assist. Romano is currently fourth on the Rangers in points with 15 (6G, 9A).

Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players:

• Joey Willis (NSH)
• Ethan Hay (TB)
• Zayne Parekh (CGY)
• Igor Chernyshov (SJ)

Kitchener’s NHL Drafted Players:

• Luke Ellinas (OTT)
• Trent Swick (VGK)
• Matthew Andonovski (OTT)