The Windsor Spitfires dropped their sixth straight OHL game after a 4-3 loss to the Owen Sound Attack on Thursday at the WFCU Centre.
Owen Sound set the pace in the first five-minutes of the game on a powerplay goal from Dylon Groulx and Kaleb Pearson's 13th of the year to make it 2-0, Windsor's Cole Purboo would score is first of two to help the Spitfires claw back within one to close out the period.
The second frame was quiet for both teams until another powerplay goal, this time from the Attack's Aidan Dudas, extended Owen Sounds lead to 3-1 heading into the third period.
"We played a lot of the game shorthanded and it felt like it just kind of ruined our energy," says Purboo. "I don't think we were that behind at all, that one with the guy's jersey, no one really knew what that was and then the second one was just a mistake but I don't think we were behind the eight ball, we just had a couple unlucky bounces."
It took just 12-seconds for Windsor to get on the board to open the third. Nathan Staios' eight goal of the year pulled the Spitfires back within a one before John Doherty scored what would later become the game winner.
Purboo gave fans a glimmer of hope, scoring his 22nd of the season midway through the period in his 200th game as a Spitfire, but Owen Sound would hold on for the 4-3 victory.
Three seasons after being drafted by the Spitfires in the ninth round of the OHL Draft, Purboo has tallied 59-goals and 58-assists for 117-points in 200 games — he won a Memorial cup with the team during the 2016-2017 season.
"To be able to play for an organization that I wasn't even sure I was going to make three years ago, it feels like time has flown by since I first signed with the team and it's been great," says Purboo. "I've learned a lot from coaches and previous players, watching them score goals in this league, obviously a lot of garbage goals going to the net and using my size.I feel like as the years go by I'm getting better at using my size and also gained a bit of speed as well, which has helped me."
The Spitfires remain two-points up on the Erie Otters for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Windsor heads to Flint to face off against the Firebirds Saturday night — puck drops at 7 p.m.
Tune into AM800 for all the action.