News Release

SAGINAW’S DOUBLE-DOUBLE DEFEATS PLYMOUTH, 5-2

SAGINAW - Zack Torquato and Patrick McNeill scored two goals apiece and goaltender Ryan Daniels stopped 45-of-47 shots as the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Plymouth Whalers, 5-2, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Sunday afternoon before 3,702 at the Dow Event Center.

Saginaw moves into first place in the OHL West with a record of 10-4-0-1; Plymouth is 8-6-0-0, in third place in the OHL West.

Tom Pyatt scored the other Saginaw goal, while Steve Ward (3^rd) and Tom Sestito (6^th) replied for Plymouth.

Whalers goaltender Jeremy Smith (Brownstown) played well in stopping 39-of-44 Saginaw shots. Smith came into the game with two consecutive shutouts and parts of another game totaling 138:04. He was spectacular early in the game when Saginaw outshot Plymouth, 12-2, midway through the first period.

Smith’s shutout string ended at 13:33 of the first period when Pyatt tipped Tomas Zaborsky’s pass from the right wing goal line out in front of the Plymouth goal for a 1-0 Saginaw lead. Smith’s shutout string ended at 151:37, fourth-best in Whalers’ franchise history.

Torquato gave Saginaw a 2-0 lead at 6:00 of the second period when he batted home a rebound from Ryan McDonough’s shot. McNeill’s first of two stood as the game-winner and came on a power play at 9:42 of the period when he scored on a shot from the high slot.

Ward cut the Saginaw lead to 3-1 on a Plymouth power play at 15:01 of the second period when he ripped a hard shot through traffic to beat Daniels. Plymouth then cut the Saginaw lead to 3-2 at 2:34 of the third period when Sestito batted home a rebound from a Ward shot at the point by Daniels. But McNeill came back for Saginaw 1:21 later to restore the Spirit’s two-goal lead and Torquato finished the scoring at 11:12.

Along with 47 shots against Saginaw on Sunday, Plymouth had 43 shots on goal against Kitchener in a 3-0 loss to the Rangers.

The Whalers hit the road all of next week, playing in Ottawa next Friday, Belleville next Saturday and Kingston on Sunday, November 5.  Plymouth’s next home game is Friday, November 10 against Owen Sound.

Tickets are available by calling the Compuware Sports Arena at (734) 453-8400 or by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.

KITCHENER 3, PLYMOUTH 0 on SATURDAY NIGHT

On Trick or Treat Night at the Compuware Sports Arena, Kitchener goaltender John Murray turned the trick on the Plymouth Whalers. The Rangers rode goaltender Murray’s 43-save performance to a 3-0 victory over the Plymouth Whalers in an Ontario Hockey League game played Saturday night before 2,507 at the Compuware Sports Arena.

The Whalers outshot Kitchener, 43-41, but Murray – a free agent from Lancaster, PA playing in his just his 11^th game in the league – was the difference in the game.

Justin Azevedo (4^th of the season at 0:35 of the first period) and Matt Halischuk (14th of the year at 16:08 of the first period) and Yves Bastien (first of the year at 6:46 of the third period) all scored for Kitchener.

Plymouth head coach Mike Vellucci mixed up his forward lines up to find a spark, but Murray made all the saves.

Before the game, Plymouth welcomed back former captain Jared Newman (Lincoln Park), who dropped a ceremonial faceoff to start the game and then signed autographs. Newman played for Plymouth from 1998-2002 and was captain from 2000-02.