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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Saturday, April 3, 2010

WHALERS DROP EARLY LEAD, CAN'T FINISH COME BACK IN 5-3 LOSS

AJ Jenks scores twice, while Phil McRae picks up 3 assists in the loss

PLYMOUTH, MI — Although many people bill the Plymouth-Windsor Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semifinal as a marquee battle between stars Tyler Seguin of Plymouth and Taylor Hall and Cam Fowler of Windsor, other talent is making the difference through the first two games of this series.

A sellout crowd of 3,922 at Compuware Arena (along with scouts from at least 20 National Hockey League teams) saw Windsor pull away from Plymouth in a 5-3 victory tonight to take a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.

(Above) Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall faceoff during the game. (Below) Ryan Hayes and Phil McRae celebrate with AJ Jenks after a goal.

Hall did score a goal (ninth of the playoffs) and added an assist, but Toronto-draft Dale Mitchell led Windsor as the game’s first star with a pair of goals (third and fourth of the playoffs) and New Jersey-draft Adam Henrique added an empty-net goal (fourth) with two assists. Philadelphia-draft Eric Wellwood (second) scored the other goals and defenseman Ryan Ellis (Nashville) contributed three assists.

AJ Jenks (Florida) led Plymouth with a pair of goals (third and fourth of the playoffs) and an assist as the game’s second star. Ryan Hayes scored the other Plymouth goal, his sixth of the playoffs.

Windsor looked to get shots from all over the offensive zone on Plymouth goaltender Matt Hackett and outshot Plymouth, 56-26. Hackett (a Minnesota draft) stopped 51-of-55 shots in the game.

The teams trade a goal aside in the first period ten seconds apart. After Mitchell scored for Windsor at 11:45, Hayes replied at 11:55 when Jenks skated wide left wing and found Hayes in front for a re-direct past Windsor goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

Plymouth took the lead at 2:52 of the second period. Jenks skated hard right wing into the Windsor zone past Henrique and scored on a shot from circle that caromed off Grubauer’s pad and into the goal, but Windsor came back to tie the game at 2-2 when Wellwood skated from behind the net and scored from the lower rim of the right circle.

The Spits regained the lead at 3-2 on Hall’s goal (redirect from the right side of the Plymouth crease) after accepting Ellis’ pass from the left point. Windsor led, 3-2, after forty minutes.

Mitchell snapped a shot from the slot past a screened Hackett at 5:05 of the third period to increase the Windsor lead to 4-2. Plymouth responded, cutting the lead to 4-3, when Phil McRae (St. Louis) – stationed at the right circle – found Jenks moving in tight on the left side of Windsor goal. Jenks made no mistake with a quick shot

Trailing 4-3 late in the game, Plymouth lead coach Mike Vellucci pulled Hackett in favor of an extra attacker with 1:20 remaining. The Whalers called a timeout with 1:14 left and a faceoff in the Windsor zone, but Henrique scored on the empty net at 19:04 to ice the game.

Here are the rest of the dates of the Plymouth-Windsor series:

Game 3 – Monday, April 5, 7:05pm – Plymouth at Windsor

Game 4 – Wednesday, April 7, 7:05pm – Windsor at Plymouth
Game 5 – Thursday, April 8, 7:05pm – Plymouth at Windsor (*)
Game 6 – Saturday, April 10, 7:05pm – Windsor at Plymouth (*)
Game 7 – Monday, April 12, 7:05pm – Plymouth at Windsor (*)

(*) if necessary

All Plymouth playoff games in the series will be broadcast on 88.1FM WSDP The Escape, starting at 6:45pm. All Plymouth playoff games are also broadcast online on www.plymouthwhalers.com.

For information on Whalers ticket packages, including the Bob Evans' Great Save 4 for $44 Pack, or to plan a group event, visit plymouthwhalers.com or call 734-453-8400.

www.plymouthwhalers.com

PLYMOUTH WHALERS: Compuware Arena | 14900 Beck Rd. | Plymouth, MI  48170 | phone: 734-453-8400 | fax: 734-453-4201

MEDIA CONTACTS: Pete Krupsky, Director of Communications, 734-453-8400 x62513, peterk@plymouthwhalers.com

Natalie Shaver, Sales and Marketing Administrator, 734-453-3216, natalies@plymouthwhalers.com