Spitfires Edge Petes in Shootout Thriller at WFCU Centre

The Windsor Spitfires earned a dramatic 4-3 shootout victory over the Peterborough Petes Thursday night at the WFCU Centre in front of 5,213 fans.

In a back-and-forth battle that saw momentum swing throughout regulation and overtime, it was captain Liam Greentree who delivered the lone goal in the shootout to secure the extra point for Windsor.

Fast Start for Windsor

The Spitfires opened the scoring midway through the first period when Jakub Fibigr jumped into the play and buried his seventh of the season at 8:23, assisted by Anthony Cristoforo and Caden Harvey.

Just over a minute later, Greentree extended the lead. The captain finished off a setup from Carson Woodall and Conor Walton at 9:26 to give Windsor a 2-0 advantage after 20 minutes.

Petes Push Back

Peterborough responded in the second period with a pair of goals less than four minutes apart to even the game at two.

Greentree answered once again at 12:18 of the middle frame, recording his second of the night off a feed from AJ Spellacy to restore the Spitfires’ lead heading into the third.

The Petes would not go away quietly. Matthew Soto capitalized on a third-period power play at 9:21 to tie the game 3-3 and force a tense finish.

Overtime Drama

Both teams traded quality chances in overtime, but the goaltenders stood tall. Joey Costanzo made five saves in the extra frame, while Easton Rye turned aside three shots to send the game to a shootout.

Greentree Seals It

Peterborough shot first in the shootout but were unable to solve Costanzo on three attempts.

Greentree stepped up in the first round for Windsor and calmly converted, beating Rye to give the Spitfires the advantage. Ethan Belchetz was denied in the second round, but Costanzo shut the door the rest of the way to secure the 4-3 victory.

Costanzo finished with 25 saves through regulation and overtime and was named the game’s third star. Greentree’s two-goal performance, including the shootout winner, earned him first star honours.

By the Numbers

• Final Score: Windsor 4, Peterborough 3 (SO)

• Shots: Windsor 36, Peterborough 28

• Power Play: Windsor 0-for-1 | Peterborough 1-for-2

• Attendance: 5,213

The Spitfires improve with the hard-fought two points and continue their push down the stretch in Ontario Hockey League action. The Spits will face the Knights in London tomorrow, then return home Saturday to face the Colts.