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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Monday, September 7, 2009

LABOR DAY REWARD: WHALERS WORK HARD IN 3-1 WIN OVER WINDSOR

Three unanswered goals in third period proves to be the difference

WINDSOR, ON — Austin Levi’s goal at 12:49 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie as the Plymouth Whalers rebounded from an early deficit with three unanswered goals to defeat the Windsor Spitfires, 3-1, in an Ontario Hockey League preseason game played this afternoon before 5,859 at the Windsor Family Credit Union Centre.

Livonia-native Austin Mattson has made the transition for the USHL to the OHL and has 3 goals in his first 3 preseason games.

Plymouth and Windsor are both 2-1 in preseason play.

Austin Mattson (Livonia) and Tyler G. Brown scored the other Plymouth goals while goaltender Scott Wedgewood stopped 39-of-40 Windsor shots to record the victory. Conor O’Donnell scored the lone Windsor goal on a deflection at 1:30 of the first period.

Windsor held on to the lead until the decisive third period. 

Mattson tied the game at 9:29 of the third period with a short handed goal and a beautiful individual effort. Picking up the puck at center ice, Mattson gained speed through the neutral zone and entered Windsor territory on the left wing. Mattson cut across from the lower rim of the left circle to the right and jammed a shot past Windsor goaltender Troy Passingham.

“It was an outstanding goal, a huge goal,“ said Plymouth associate coach Joe Stefan. “It obviously got us back in the game. Austin’s just a little guy, but it seems like he’s got a real big heart. He skates like the wind and he opens up a lot of space.”

Mattson has three goals in three preseason games.

Stefan and assistant coach Brian Sommariva worked the game in place of Plymouth Presdient, General Manager and Head Coach Mike Vellucci, who is attending the 2009 Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, MI. Stefan and Sommariva went into today’s game looking for a better effort from the Whalers following a 5-3 loss to Windsor on Saturday and received that effort today.

“From Scott Wedgewood, to the defense and then out to the forwards, we lost a few players over the course of the game, but we sucked it up and worked hard,” Stefan said. “Before the game, we talked about competing better through sixty minutes than we did on Saturday. I think we did that today.”

Levi’s lead goal was a result of hard work. Plymouth center Joe Gaynor won a faceoff in the Windsor zone and followed the play to the end-wall. Winning a battle for the puck, Gaynor found Levi at the left point and he made no mistake with the shot at 12:49.

“I thought as the game went on we started to control the game in their end a little more,” Stefan said. “Our points were open quite a bit as the game went on. I was telling our guys to feed the points and then get to the net. As it turned out on that goal, Joe did great work down low and Austin got a real nice shot from the point and he got it through.”

Brown iced the game at 18:39 after following up Garrett Meurs’ rush into Windsor territory. After Meurs – getting a shot on Passingham while falling on the ice at the right circle – was denied, Brown batted home the rebound.

“Garrett works real hard for a skilled guy,“ said Stefan. “You don’t always see that a lot. He took a real big hit driving to the net in the first period. We didn’t know if he was going to bounce back, but the goal showed the kind of heart the kid has. He wants to win and he wants to be here. He bounced back from that hit with a real big effort in the third period.”

Plymouth scratches included Matt Hackett, Beau Schmitz, Michal Jordan AJ Jenks and Jamie Devane (all at NHL camps), along with RJ Mahalak and Tyler Seguin.

The Whalers complete the preseason this weekend, Friday in London and then will play the Knights again Saturday in St. Thomas, ON.

For information on Whalers ticket packages or to plan a group event, visit plymouthwhalers.com or call 734-453-8400.

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