News Release

       Contact: Pete Krupsky                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       Phone: (734) 453-8400                                                Monday, January 14, 2008

      WHALERS COME FROM BEHIND, DEFEAT SAGINAW IN SHOOTOUT, 3-2

PLYMOUTH – Chris Terry scored the only goal in a shootout and goaltender Jeremy Smith stopped every shot he faced in the shootout as the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Saginaw Spirit, 3-2, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Monday night at Compuware Arena.

Plymouth has won four out its last five games and improves to 24-12-2-2, good for 52 points and third place in the OHL West Division and fourth seed in the Western Conference. Saginaw is now 20-16-3-2, good for 45 points and fifth place in the OHL West and seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Terry (team leading 31st goal of the season) and Ryan Hayes (first OHL goal) scored the goals for Plymouth and added an assist apiece. David Jarram (7) and Tomas Zaborsky (24) scored for Saginaw. Smith stopped 30-of-32 Saginaw shots to run his record to 15-6-1-2. Saginaw goaltender Ryan Daniels stopped 40-of-42 Plymouth shots as the game’s second star for Saginaw.

After a scoreless first period, Terry gave Plymouth a 1-0 lead at 5:46 of the second period when he took Hayes’ pass on the right hashmark in the Saginaw zone, cut across to the left circle and beat Daniels with the shot. Jarram (shot from the left wing) and Zaborsky (shot from the high slot that Smith got a piece of) scored at 14:14 and 18:15 respectively to give Saginaw a 2-1 lead after forty minutes of play.

But Plymouth outshot Saginaw in the third period, 18-10, and tied the game on a power play at 11:50 when Wes Cunningham’s point shot pinballed off the boards behind the Saginaw goal and bounced to Hayes at the left goal line. Hayes made no mistake to tie the game at 2-2.

After a scoreless overtime, Terry scored on Plymouth's first shot of the shootout when he moved in to the hashmarks and snapped a hard shot top shelf past Daniels. Smith went to work for Plymouth then, stopping Jack Combs, Ryan McDonough and Zaborsky to backstop the victory.

After playing on the road Friday in Guelph, Plymouth is back home on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against London. Tickets can be purchased for all Plymouth games by calling the Compuware Arena at (734) 453-8400 or by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.

About the Plymouth Whalers

The Plymouth Whalers are the only Metro Detroit team in the Ontario Hockey League, a developmental league for National Hockey League players. The Whalers all range in age from 15-21 years-old and are consistently one of the top teams in the OHL. In 2006-07, the Whalers won the OHL Championship.   www.plymouthwhalers.com.

About Compuware Arena

Compuware Arena is home to the 2007 Ontario Hockey League Champion Plymouth Whalers, the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Detroit Ignition, the Compuware Arena Drive-In Theatres, the MHSAA Boys State Hockey Championships and eight AAA Compuware Hockey youth teams. Compuware Arena serves more than one million patrons each year, and is located in Plymouth, Michigan. www.compuwarearena.com.

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