Wassilyn continues goal streak, Spirit fall to Spitfires Saturday night
Photo: Steven Frank
Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit hosted the Windsor Spitfires at the Dow Event Center on Saturday night. Braidy Wassilyn has increased his goal scoring streak to four straight games, while Dmitry Savin added a goal and assist. Stepan Shurygin made his season debut for the Spirit with 22 saves, but the Spitfires took a 6-3 win.
Windsor opened the score at 12:57. Bogdan Yakushevsky took the puck on the right wing and carried it toward the goal, setting up a close range shot for Anthony Cristoforo. Cristoforo got his first goal of the season to make the score 1-0.
After 1: WSR 1 – 0 SAG (Total shots: 8 – 10)
Saginaw tied the game early in the second period. Dmitry Savin took a long shot from the left wing which bounced off the pads of goaltender Jake Windbiel. Braidy Wassilyn was there to shoot the puck short-side and even the score with his fourth goal of the season.
Shortly after their game-tying goal, the Spirit would take the lead thanks to Dmitry Savin. Dima Zhilkin passed from the right wall to Braidy Wassilyn in front, who turned with the puck and laid a pass to Dmitry Savin for the 2-1 lead.
Caden Harvey tied the game for the Spitfires at 5:56. Bogdan Yakushevsky moved a puck up to Caden Harvey, who scored off the rush with a snapshot from the right circle. Andrew Robinson got the secondary assist with the score tied at 2-2.
Anthony Cristoforo got his second goal of the night to make the score 3-2 for Windsor at 12:13. Defenseman Jonathan Brown shot from the point, where Cristoforo deflected the puck over Stepan Shurygin and into the back of the net.
After 2: WSR 3 – 2 SAG (2nd period shots: 10 – 8, Total shots: 18 – 18)
The Spitfires took a 4-2 lead early in the third period. Caden Harvey carried the puck from the left wing to the right circle, sliding it under the pads of the Spirit goalie to score his second of the night.
Windsor increased their lead to 5-2 at 9:44. Shawn Costello passed from behind the goal to Beksultan Makysh, whose shot from in tight beat Shurygin for his first of the season.
Spirit got one back at the end of the third period. Zhilkin received a pass into the left circle from Jacob Cloutier on the right wing. He then cut back to Brody Pepoy, who scored to make the score 5-3.
Anthony Cristoforo completed his hat trick after a long shot from behind the Windsor goal found its way into an empty Spirit net. Cristoforo’s unassisted goal formed the final score of 6-3 for the Spitfires at 19:55.
Final: WSR 6 – 3 SAG (3rd period shots: 10 – 8, Total shots: 28 – 26)
Powerplays: WSR 1/2 SAG 1/3
Goaltenders: WSR: Jake Windbiel (23 saves, 26 shots, W) SAG: Stepan Shurygin (22 saves, 27 shots, L)
Saginaw’s next game will be against the Kitchener Rangers on Friday, October 2nd, at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Puck drop is at 7:00pm.
