Wassilyn records two points against former team, Spirit secure season’s first win
Photo: Eric Young
Saginaw, Mich. – The Saginaw Spirit got their first win of the season against the Niagara IceDogs at the Dow Event Center Friday night. Jacob Cloutier, Sawyer Schmidt and Dmitry Savin each scored their first goals of the season. Braidy Wassilyn and Dima Zhilkin also got on the board for the Spirit in the 5-3 victory. Brady Knowling secured his first career win, as did Spirit head coach Brendan Taylor.
Braidy Wassilyn opened the scoring against his former team with his third goal of the season. The goal was assisted by Blake Barnes and Dmitry Savin, making the game 1-0 at 3:54.
Freshly returning from Winnipeg Jets training camp, Jacob Cloutier scored his first goal of the season off a play set up by Ryan Hanrahan and Kade Meyer at 13:39. Cloutier went up over the shoulder of Niagara goaltender Connor Haffner from the bottom of the left circle.
After 1: SAG 2 – 0 NIAG (Total shots: 13 – 9)
Sawyer Schmidt scored his first goal of the season over a sprawled-out Connor Haffner making bring the Spirit’s lead to 3-0. The goal was assisted by Brody Pepoy after he carried the puck into the zone.
Import forward Dmitry Savin scored his first goal of the season on a steal right between the circles at 9:08. He intercepted a pass for a short breakaway and flipped the puck over the glove of Haffner for a 4-0 lead.
Forward Reyth Smith got the IceDogs on the board with a power play goal scored between the legs of Spirit goaltender Brady Knowling. The goal was assisted by Will Mullins and Blake Barnes at 14:42, making the score 4-1.
The Spirit’s fifth goal of the games was scored by Dima Zhillkin on a backhand shot into the corner top left corner. Like Savin earlier in the period, Zhilkin stole the puck in the offensive zone and beat Haffner up hight. The goal was assisted by Wassilyn and Tyler Martyniuk at 16:44.
After 2: SAG 5 – 1 NIAG (2nd period shots: 9 – 5 Total shots: 22 – 14)
Defenseman Callum Cheynowski scored early in the period to close the gap to 5-2. Reyth Smith and Lane Gallacher had the assists as Cheynowski bet Knowling low.
In closing minutes of the period, Jared Langdon scored on a net front scramble, with an assist from Carter Lewandowski and Barnes on the powerplay.
Final: SAG 5 – 3 NIAG (3rd period shots: 10 – 14 Total shots: 32 – 28)
Powerplays: SAG 0/3 NIAG 2/6
Goaltenders: SAG: Brady Knowling (25 saves, 28 shots, W) NIAG: Connor Haffner (27 saves, 32 shots)
The Spirit are back in action Saturday, September 26th, facing off against the Windsor Spitfires at the Dow Event Center for Women’s Hockey Day presented by Space Inc. Puck drop is at 7:05pm.
