SAGINAW - The Saginaw Spirit led from start to finish in a 6-2 victory over the Plymouth Whalers in an Ontario Hockey League game played Wednesday before 2,813 at Dow Event Center.
Saginaw improves to 7-6-1-1. Plymouth - playing their league-leading 12th game on the road this season - is now 7-10-0-0. Saginaw led, 2-0 after one period and 4-1 after forty minutes. First star Terry Trafford scored a goal (second of the year) and added two assists. Justin Kea (fourth), Kristoff Kontos (sixth), Zach Bratina (fourth), Jeremiah Addison (first) and Mitchell Stephens (second) all scored for Saginaw.
Zach Lorentz (seventh) and Carter Sandlak (team-leading 10th) scored for Plymouth. Ryan Hartman assisted on both Plymouth goals.
After Kea and Kontos score in the first period at 12:52 and 17:58 to stake Saginaw to a 2-1 lead, the Whalers outshot the Spirit, 15-10, in the second period and cut the deficit to 2-1 on Lorentz's power play goal at 11:07.
Lorentz was stopped on his first shot outside the Saginaw blue ice by goaltender Jake Paterson, but he stuffed home the rebound.
Perhaps the key moments in the game came later in the period when Saginaw scored twice to extend their lead to 4-1 with a pair goals in a span on 1:03. Former Whaler Bratina scored on a scramble in the Plymouth blue ice at 16:11 and Addison scored on the rush with a low shot from the left circle at 16:11.
Sandlak did come back for the Whalers, batting home a rebound at 17:58 of the second period, to cut the Saginaw lead to 4-2.
But the Spirit pulled away for good in the third period, getting an empty net goal from Trafford at 16:46 after Plymouth goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled for the extra attacker with 3:30 remaining and a re-direct from Stephens at 19:10.
Saginaw outshot Plymouth, 46-34.
MORE COVERAGE: Cory Butzin, MLive.com.
Plymouth remains on the road Friday night in Mississauga against the Steelheads. The Whalers' next home game in Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:05 pm against Windsor at Compuware Arena.
Zach Lorentz (seventh) and Carter Sandlak (team-leading 10th) scored for Plymouth. Ryan Hartman assisted on both Plymouth goals.
After Kea and Kontos score in the first period at 12:52 and 17:58 to stake Saginaw to a 2-1 lead, the Whalers outshot the Spirit, 15-10, in the second period and cut the deficit to 2-1 on Lorentz's power play goal at 11:07.
Lorentz was stopped on his first shot outside the Saginaw blue ice by goaltender Jake Paterson, but he stuffed home the rebound.
Perhaps the key moments in the game came later in the period when Saginaw scored twice to extend their lead to 4-1 with a pair goals in a span on 1:03. Former Whaler Bratina scored on a scramble in the Plymouth blue ice at 16:11 and Addison scored on the rush with a low shot from the left circle at 16:11.
Sandlak did come back for the Whalers, batting home a rebound at 17:58 of the second period, to cut the Saginaw lead to 4-2.
But the Spirit pulled away for good in the third period, getting an empty net goal from Trafford at 16:46 after Plymouth goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled for the extra attacker with 3:30 remaining and a re-direct from Stephens at 19:10.
Saginaw outshot Plymouth, 46-34.
MORE COVERAGE: Cory Butzin, MLive.com.
Plymouth remains on the road Friday night in Mississauga against the Steelheads. The Whalers' next home game in Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:05 pm against Windsor at Compuware Arena.
Find out what's happening in Plymouth-Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
