Wednesday Highlights: Spirit soar into first with 40th win

 

SAGINAW 5, SAULT STE. MARIE 3
The Saginaw Spirit are 40 game winners for the first time since 2011, climbing into the West Division lead with a 5-3 road win over the Soo Greyhounds. Saginaw fell behind 1-0 in the opening three minutes of action before responding with five straight goals. Albert Michnac (17), Brady Gilmour (13), Damien Giroux (26), Nicholas Porco (20) and Reagan O’Grady (9) all scored for Saginaw while Zack Trott (9), Cole MacKay (26) and Robert Calisti (2) responded for the Greyhounds. Saginaw outshot Sault Ste. Marie 29-23, improving to 4-2 against the Greyhounds on the season series with two encounters remaining. The Spirit improves to 40-15-2-3 with a fourth straight win while the Hounds fall to 39-14-6-1.
GAME CENTRE

 

GUELPH 4, ERIE 3 – OT
The Erie Otters rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime where their luck would run out in the extra frame. Despite nine overtime wins on the season, the Otters weren’t able to come through on Wednesday as Liam Hawel fed Cedric Ralph (17) on a two-on-one for the game winner, giving the Guelph Storm five straight wins. Isaac Ratcliffe (46) and Zachary Roberts (8) both scored before Dmitri Samorukov (6) returned from suffering a broken nose on Tuesday to find the back of the net for the Storm. Mathew MacDougall (13) and Joseph Mack (9) scored for the Otters before Maxim Golod (16) tied the score at three with 1:45 remaining. Guelph’s Anthony Popovich made 27 saves for the win while Erie’s Cole Ceci helped his team earn a point with 31 saves in the overtime loss. The Storm improves to 34-16-6-4 while Erie trails eighth place Windsor by three points in the Western Conference, falling to 24-31-3-1.
GAME CENTRE

 

KITCHENER 3, MISSISSAUGA 2
The Kitchener Rangers climbed out to a 3-0 lead, one they’d ultimately preserve thanks to a 40-save effort from goaltender Luke Richardson. The Mississauga Steelheads scored a pair of third period goals to pull within one before time expired and the Rangers secured their third straight victory. Dallas Stars prospect Riley Damiani (22, 23) scored a pair of goals while Joseph Garreffa (25) had a goal and two assists. Greg Meireles extended his current point streak to 12 games with an assist. Richardson’s fine play helped the Rangers prevail despite being outshot 42-30 as they handed Mississauga a third straight loss. The Rangers went 1-for-9 on the man advantage to Mississauga’s 1-for-4 mark. Kitchener improves to 30-26-3-1, four points up on sixth place Owen Sound in the Western Conference. Mississauga falls to 29-24-5-2, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
GAME CENTRE