GAME PREVIEW: Spirit vs. Soo Greyhounds – 1/4/25

Category: ArticleJanuary 4, 2025

Saginaw, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit (18-17-1-0) host the Soo Greyhounds (16-20-0-0) on Saturday, January 4th at the Dow Event Center.

Tonight’s Game:

Puck drop is at 7:05 PM.

Broadcast:

Radio: 100.5 WSGW, WSGW.com

TV: OHL Live, CHL App, OHL Action Pak Ch. 469

Last Game:

Saginaw last played on Thursday, January 2nd where they defeated the Ottawa 67’s 5-2. Kristian Epperson scored two goals and picked up an assist while Michael Misa tallied two assists.

The Soo last played on Friday, January 3rd where they beat the Peterborough Petes 4-0. Owen Allard had a goal and two assists while Charlie Schenkel recorded 29 saves to shutout the Petes.

This Season:

Saginaw and the Soo have faced off four times this season with the Greyhounds winning three of the matchups. The Spirit won the first matchup on September 27th by a score of 6-4. Michael Misa scored a hat-trick in the first period leading the way for Saginaw. Brady Martin picked up a goal and two assists for the Greyhounds. The Soo came out on top in the next three matchups. On October 13th the Greyhounds defeated Saginaw 3-2. Brady Martin and Michael Misa both scored in this matchup as well. Ten days later, the Greyhounds were victorious once again winning 5-3. Marco Mignosa tallied a goal and two assists for the Soo while Soo native Calem Mangone recorded a goal and an assist for Saginaw. The fourth meeting between these teams came on December 4th as Landon Miller shutout the Spirit with 38 saves enroute to a 2-0 victory for the Greyhounds.

Players to Watch:

In three games against the Greyhounds this season, Saginaw’s leading scorer Michael Misa has five goals and one assist. Misa sits second in the OHL in goals (30) and points (64), and is fresh off a two-assist night against Ottawa on Thursday. Flames prospect Zayne Parekh is fourth in scoring among defenseman in the OHL. In 31 games this season, Parekh has tallied 12 goals and 29 assists for 41 points. Parekh scored the opening tally against the 67’s on Thursday and has points in three straight for the Spirit (1G-4A—5P). Kristian Epperson is coming off a spectacular three-point performance against Ottawa on Thursday tallying two goals and an assist, including the game-winner. In 32 games this season Epperson has 15 goals and 28 assists.

Charlie Schenkel is coming off a 29-save shutout performance against the Petes on Friday night, his second of the season. Schenkel is currently fifth in the OHL in save percentage with a .915% and has a 2.83 goals against average through 24 games played. Recent signing Chase Reid has made an immediate impact for the Greyhounds. His three assists against the Petes led the way on Friday night, and the defenseman has eight points (1G, 7A) in eight games of OHL action. Justin Cloutier is leading the Greyhounds in both goals, and sits second in points this season. In 36 games, Cloutier has 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points.

Saginaw’s NHL Drafted Players: