Storm double up Spitfires to earn split

Andrey Pedan led the Storm offence with three points as they bounced back from a subpar performance versus Windsor on Friday with a 6-3 win at the WFCU Centre.

The Spitfires looked for a Friday night repeat with Jordan DeKort in goal for the second straight game.  At the Sleeman Centre, the second year netminder kicked out 46 of 47 Guelph shots but on Sunday, the Storm solved DeKort early and often beginning with Scott Kosmachuk’s breakaway goal just 3:43 after the opening faceoff. 

Tied at one after one, the visitors scored two straight to grab a lead they wouldn’t surrender.  Brock McGinn slid past the Windsor defence before snapping a low shot inside the far post to make it 2-1 and then Tyler Bertuzzi notched his first of two in the contest from Brock Beukeboom.  After the Spitfires cut the lead in half, Jason Dickinson fired the game winner.  The second year winger grabbed a dump in by Pedan stopped hard to shake his defender then fired a quick shot over DeKort’s shoulder and under the crossbar for his 16th of the season.

Two more third period markers sandwiched around one by Windsor made it a 6-3 final.  Zack Mitchell from Pedan and Robby Fabbri made it 5-2 with Bertuzzi into the empty net finishing the scoring.

Sunday’s win sets up another huge divisional tilt on Wednesday night in Guelph versus the Kitchener Rangers.  With the Storm holding a game in hand over the Rangers, they trail their Highway 7 rivals by three points for fourth in the conference.

Game notes… Tanner Richard and Ben Harpur both missed Sunday’s game with illness… Matt Finn (mono) and Brody Milne (broken jaw) remained out of the lineup… Zack Mitchell played the game with a face mask after taking a high stick to the mouth versus Windsor on Friday night… Brock Beukeboom has a +8 plus/minus rating in his last 4 games.

Guelph Storm 6 at Windsor Spitfires 3 – Status: Final
Sunday, February 3, 2013 – WFCU Centre

Guelph 1 3 2 – 6
Windsor 1 1 1 – 3

1st Period-1, Guelph, Kosmachuk 26 (Leslie), 3:43. 2, Windsor, Murphy 7 (Aleardi, Giftopoulos), 10:46 (PP). Penalties-Horvat Gue (tripping), 4:29; served by Bowen Wsr (too many men), 4:29; Bauman Gue (instigator, fighting, misc-instigating, game misc-agg.), 8:19; Studnicka Wsr (check from behind, game misc-cfb), 8:19; Posa Gue (holding), 10:40; Dickinson Gue (boarding), 13:48; Beukeboom Gue (cross checking), 14:18.

2nd Period-3, Guelph, McGinn 19 (Pedan, Posa), 0:13. 4, Guelph, Bertuzzi 5 (Beukeboom), 3:01. 5, Windsor, Khokhlachev 9 (Aleardi, Rychel), 9:54. 6, Guelph, Dickinson 16 (Garlent, Pedan), 18:22. Penalties-Ebert Wsr (hooking), 3:39; Giftopoulos Wsr (hooking), 11:20; McNaughton Gue (elbowing), 13:55.

3rd Period-7, Guelph, Mitchell 19 (Pedan, Fabbri), 1:37. 8, Windsor, Aleardi 20 (Johnson, Khokhlachev), 14:57. 9, Guelph, Bertuzzi 6 (McGinn), 18:37 (EN). Penalties-Leslie Gue (interference), 4:07; Kosmachuk Gue (fighting), 7:34; Giftopoulos Wsr (fighting), 7:34.

Shots on Goal-Guelph 13-15-9-37. Windsor 8-9-10-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Guelph 0 / 2; Windsor 1 / 6.
Goalies-Guelph, Sparks 26-10-0-4 (27 shots-24 saves). Windsor, DeKort 2-6-0-2 (36 shots-31 saves).
A-5,948
Referees-Ryan Hutchison (20), Steve McInchak (55).
Linesmen-Geoff Rutherford (62), Shawn Hamelin (88).