SPITS 7 GREYHOUNDS 4

Rob Benneian WindsorSpitfires.com, photo: Joe Lemire

Michael Clarke's two goals late in the third period capped a 7-4 Spitfires win over the Soo Greyhounds Thursday night, in front of 5,194 at the WFCU Centre.

Clarke also assisted on the game's first two goals; twin power play tallies by forward Derek Schoenmakers.

The Spits power play had been in a 1-for-13 slump heading into the contest.

"It was important to jump on the board early and try to get us some momentum especially after the last few games we've been having," Schoenmakers said. "It's important to get the confidence going and I thought it helped. We played pretty well."

Josh Ho-Sang's first Ontario Hockey League goal came 57 seconds into the second period on a pretty, three-way passing play with Chris Marchese and Kerby Rychel.

"That goal was all Cheesy (Chris Marchese) and Kerb (Rychel). They gave me a gift from heaven," Ho-Sang said. "It was right on my tape, right through some guys legs gliding. I don't even know how Kerb got the pass through."

Brady Vail and Greyhounds defenceman Darnell Nurse swapped goals later in the period, setting the stage for a wild finish. 

Rychel had an apparent goal called back halfway through the third, just minutes after Jared McCann had drawn the Soo to within one at 4-3. Unfazed, Rychel snapped home a wrist shot at 14:52, for what turned out to be the game-winner. 

Rookie forward Sergey Tolchinsky made it 5-4 with his fifth goal of the year at 18:57 - giving the Greyhounds a brief glimmer of hope before Clarke slammed the door. The Colorado Avalanche draft pick scored into an empty net from inside the Windsor zone and then scored 19 seconds later on a bank shot with Murray back in the Soo net.

Jaroslav Pavelka made 31 saves in the victory.

The Spitfires face the Niagara IceDogs Sunday afternoon at 2:05 PM at the WFCU Centre. 

SUMMARY

FIRST PERIOD: WSR SCHOENMAKERS (3) (CLARKE, DEVLIN) 1:29 PP, SOO ALDERSON (4) (COUSINS, NURSE) 8:51 PP, WSR SCHOENMAKERS (4) (CLARKE, VAIL) 13:03 PP

SECOND PERIOD: WSR HO-SANG (1) (RYCHEL, MARCHESE) 0:57, WSR VAIL (5) (JOHNSON, SCHOENMAKERS) 8:47, SOO NURSE (1) 19:57

THIRD PERIOD: SOO MCCANN (3) (NURSE, MURRAY) 6:58, WSR RYCHEL (3) (DEVLIN, STUDNICKA) 14:52, SOO TOLCHINSKY (5) (BUONOMO, COUSINS) 18:57, WSR CLARKE (4) 19:17, WSR CLARKE (5) (EBERT) 19:36

SHOTS: WSR 11 - 13 - 15 = 39, SOO 5 - 16 - 14 = 35
PPS: WSR 2-FOR-5, SOO 2-FOR-6