Spirit finish eastern road trip against North Bay
North Bay, Ont. – The Saginaw Spirit (38-14-0-1) visit the North Bay Battalion (28-16-6-2) on Sunday, February 17th, at the North Bay Memorial Gardens.
Today’s Game:
Puck drop is at 2:00 PM
Broadcast:
Television: CHL TV, CHL App, OHL Action Pak Ch. 467
Radio: 100.5 FM WSGW, WSGW.com
Last Time:
Saginaw traveled to Sudbury Community Arena to take on the Sudbury Wolves on Friday, February 16th. The first period was full of goals, four in total. Dalibor Dvorský and Ryan Pryce scored two goals for Sudbury while Aidan Castle and Owen Beck scored the two for Saginaw. Josh Bloom opened the second period scoring the third and final goal of the night for the Spirit. The Wolves would go on to a 6-3 victory and split the season series. Andrew Oke saved 17 of 22 shots on goal for the Spirit while Jakub Vondras saved 24 of 27 shots on goal for the Wolves.
The North Bay Battalion took on the Ottawa 67s on Friday, February 16th, at the North Bay Memorial Gardens. Sandis Vilmanis and Owen Van Steensel scored the first two goals of the game, giving North Bay an early 2-0 lead. Liam Arnsby added to the Battalion’s lead, scoring just two minutes into the second. Braeden Kressler scored the first goal for Ottawa, 15 second into the third followed by Will Gerrior. North Bay eventually defeated Ottawa, 3-2. Dom DiVincentiis saved 32 of 34 shots on goal for the Battalion while Ian Michelone saved 19 of 22 shots on goal for the 67’s.
Last Season:
The Saginaw Spirit faced off against the North Bay Battalion twice last year, falling in both matchups. Last time the Spirit took on the Battalion it ended in a 4-0 shutout at the Dow Event Center on February 24th, 2023. Former North Bay forward Kyle McDonald opened up the scoring midway through the first, followed by Ty Nelson. Anthony Romani and Dalyn Wakely scored two empty net goals to earn a 4-0 victory over Saginaw. Josh Bloom had two assists for the Battalion while Dom DiVincentiis recorded a 33-save shutout.
Players to Watch
Zayne Parekh continues his stellar draft season, leading the team with 77 points and 51 assists. He is currently tied for second on the team in goals (26) alongside Michael Misa . Parekh is also third in the OHL in points and assist as well as first in goals among OHL defensemen. Owen Beck leads the team with 28 goals. Andrew Oke is currently leading in all major goaltending categories for the Spirit, including a 3.04 goals against average (GAA), an .887 save percentage (SV%), and 22 wins. With Thursday’s win against the Barrie Colts, Nolan Lalonde has now extended his win streak to 15.
North Bay currently has two of the top five point leaders in the OHL. Anthony Romani is the OHL’s leading goal scorer with 44 and is placed second in the OHL with 85 points. Dalyn Wakely is second on the team in points, tied for fourth in the OHL, with 76. Wakely is first on the team in assists (49) as well as tied for fourth in the OHL in this category as well. Winnipeg prospect Dom DiVincentiis currently leads in all major goaltending categories for the Battalion, including a 3.24 GAA, a .890 SV%, and 18 wins.
Saginaw currently has ten (10) players tied to the National Hockey League (NHL), including Joey Willis (Nashville), Josh Bloom (Vancouver), Matyas Sapovaliv (Vegas), Hunter Haight (Minnesota), Owen Back (Montreal), Ethan Hay (Tampa Bay), Braden Haché (Florida), Jorian Donovan (Ottawa), Rodwin Dionicio (Anaheim) and Nolan Lalonde (Columbus, FA).
North Bay has six (6) players tied to the National Hockey League (NHL), including Justin Ertel (Dallas), Liam Arnsby (Florida), Sandis Vilmanis (Florida), Tnias Mathurin (Detroit), Ty Nelson (Seattle), and Dom DiVincentiis (Winnipeg).
