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PLYMOUTH, MI— Austin Watson’s goal at 1:14 of the third period proved to be game-winner as the Windsor Spitfires defeated the Plymouth Whalers, 5-3, in an Ontario Hockey League preseason game played Saturday afternoon at Compuware Arena.
The game featured good flow and took 1:59 to play. Windsor is 2-0 is preseason play. Plymouth is 1-1.
Besides Watson, Michael Whaley, Richard Panik, Saverio Posa and Justin Shugg (empty net at 19:40) scored for Windsor. Austin Mattson, Tyler J. Brown, Myles McCauley (pictured above) replied for Plymouth.
The teams traded a goal aside in the first period. McCauley set up Mattson’s power play goal at 3:34 of the first period with a solo rush through center on the right wing and into the Windsor zone behind the net. Mattson converted McCauley’s feed in front of Windsor goaltender Michael Nishi. The Spitfires tied the game at 19:23 of the period on Whaley’s tip of Cam Fowler’s point shot past Plymouth goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
Panik gave Windsor their first lead at 0:46 of the second period with the Spits working with a 5-on-3 power play. Craig Duininck’s point shot was knocked down, but Panik pounced on a loose puck at the right goal line to score. Plymouth tied the game at 2-2 at 10:41 of the period as Ryan Hayes skated on the right wing in the Windsor zone to the circle and passed across to the left hash mark to Brown, who faked forehand and stuffed a backhand past Nishi. Posa restored Windsor’s lead to 3-2 at 19:35 of the period when he picked up a loose puck and wired a shot from the right point under the bar past Wedgewood.
That set the stage for Watson’s game-winner early in the third period. Panik skated to the right goal line in the Plymouth zone and found Watson breaking into the slot as the late man. Watson scored with a quick one-timer to give Windsor a 4-2 lead.
Plymouth didn’t quit as McCauley scored in tight at the right doorstep to cut the Windsor lead to 4-3 at 6:19 of the third period. The Whalers pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker in the final minute of play, but Fowler broke up a play in the Windsor slot and found Shugg moving from center ice on the right wing. Shugg scored on the empty net to ice the game for Windsor.
Windsor outshot Plymouth, 40-34. Plymouth and Windsor meet Monday afternoon at 2pm at Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.
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