News Release

BACK ON TRACK: WHALERS BUILD LEAD, WITHSTAND LATE WINDSOR CHARGE IN 5-4 VICTORY

PLYMOUTH – The Plymouth Whalers built a 5-1 lead in the third period and withstood a late Windsor surge to defeat the Spitfires, 5-4, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Wednesday night at the Compuware Sports Arena.

The Whalers have won five of their last six games and stand at 13-10-0-0. Windsor is 6-14-1-1.

Five different Whalers scored – James Neal (team leading 14^th of the season), Tom Sestito (11), John Armstrong (6), Chris Terry (5) and Vern Cooper (4). Joe McCann added two assists for Plymouth. Four different Spitfires scored – Mark Cundari and Ryan Baldwin (each with their first OHL goal), Craig Voakes (7) and Brad Snetsinger (8).

Windsor outshot Plymouth, 38-29. Plymouth goaltender Michal Neuvirth picked up his seventh win of the season.

Plymouth led, 3-0, after the first period, while outshooting Windsor, 15-9. Neal got the scoring started at 1:25 of the first period when he skated in on the right wing in the Windsor zone and beat Spitfire goaltender Anthony Guadagnolo with a hard shot tucked underneath the cross bar. Sestito scored a shorthanded goal at 14:22 of the period when he completed a 2-on-1 break with McCann and beat Guadagnolo with a shot from the left wing lip of the crease. Armstrong scored another shorthanded for Plymouth at 19:08 of the period when he picked up a loose puck in front of Guadagnolo and stuffed it on the right wing side of the goal.

Cundari scored from the left hashmark for Windsor at 7:16 of the second period to cut the Plymouth lead to 3-1, but Terry replied at 9:01 of the period his shot from the right boards in the Windsor zone caromed off Spitfire defenseman Chris Purves and over the shoulder of Guadagnolo.

Plymouth increased the lead to 5-1 at 5:37 of the third period when Copper finished severe pressure in the Windsor zone when he batted home a rebound past Guadagnolo from the right wing.

Windsor didn’t quit, getting third period goals from Baldwin at 5:48 and power play goals from Voakes at 13:56 and Snetsinger at 15:15.

Plymouth plays in Kitchener on Friday night before returning home Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. to host Peterborough. Tickets are available by calling the Compuware Sports Arena at (734) 453-8400 or by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.