News Release

       Contact: Pete Krupsky                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       Phone: (734) 453-8400                                                Wednesday, November 21, 2007

SMITH, TERRY and BLUE COLLAR EFFORT LEADS PLYMOUTH TO 4-1 WIN OVER SAGINAW

PLYMOUTH – Plymouth goaltender Jeremy Smith (Brownstown) stopped 48-of-49 shots and Chris Terry, Andrew Fournier and Wes Cunningham contributed a goal and assist each as the Whalers defeated the Saginaw Spirit, 4-1, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Wednesday evening at Compuware Arena.

The Whalers improve to 14-7-1-1, good for 30 points and third place in the OHL’s West Division.  Saginaw is now 9-10-1-2, good for 21 points.

Joe McCann scored the other Plymouth goal. Jack Combs scored the lone Saginaw goal, his 14th of the season.

But Smith was the difference, as Saginaw outshot Plymouth, 49-25.  Smith lowered his goals against average to 2.65 and raised his save percentage to a league-best .931.

McCann gave Plymouth a 1-0 lead with his seventh goal of the season at 16:55 of the first period.  Terry started the play with a cross-ice pass from the right goal line in the Saginaw zone to the left goal line to McCann, who made no mistake.  Terry gave the Whalers a 2-0 lead at 1:39 of the second period with a fine individual effort, when he skated from behind the net unchecked through traffic out in front of Saginaw goaltender Ryan Daniels and went top shelf for his 16th goal of the season.  Fournier scored his team-leading 20th goal of the season on a Plymouth power play at 4:45 of the third period when he took a pass from AJ Jenks from behind the Saginaw goal and beat Daniels with a shot through traffic.

After Combs scored the only Saginaw goal at 9:02 of the third period when he deflected Tomas Zaborsky’s shot from the point past Smith, Cunningham completed the scoring with his fourth goal of the season at 16:00 of the third period when his low shot from the left point beat a screened Daniels.

The Whalers penalty killers were excellent again, going 8-for-9.  Plymouth defenseman Jozek Sladok earned the game’s third star as he played an excellent game against Detroit Red Wing draft Jan Mursak.

Plymouth is back home on Friday at 2:00 p.m. against Sault Ste. Marie and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Sudbury. 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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