Rookie Jean-Luc Foudy netted his first OHL goal in a 7-5 win over the Saginaw Spirit at the WFCU Centre Thursday night.
Scoring wasn't in short supply in a first period that saw Saginaw jump ahead 2-0 just over a minute in on goals from Albert Michnac and Nicholas Porco. Windsor answered quickly on a goal from Jordan Frasca and knotted things up 2-2 on a goal from Grayson Ladd mid-way through the period.
The back and forth would continue with Jake Goldowski finding the back of the net for the Spirit before Foudy netted his first career OHL goal to keep pace — Cole Coskey would make it 4-3 for Saginaw to close out the first.
"Before the game I try to visualize that happening, but you never know it's going to happen," says Foudy, who finished with 4-pts for first start of the game honours. "When I did it was a pretty sick feeling."
Windsor's Connor Corcoran tied things up 4-4 and chased Spirit goaltender Cameron Lamour from the cage early in the second after he gave up his fourth goal on seven shots.
The Spitfires would have a goaltending change of their own when Kari Piiroinen came on to start the third after Spitfires' goalie Michael DiPeitro left with an undisclosed injury.
Windsor pulled away on goals from Luke Boka, Nathan Staios and Tyler Angle in the third. Blade Jenkins would score with two minutes left to make things interesting, but the Spitfires would hold on for a 7-5 win and remain undefeated at home.
Head Coach Trevor Letowski is happy the Spitfires pulled out a win, but after being outshot 21-12 over the first two periods, he made it known that things needed to tighten up during the second intermission.
"The scoring chances are there, I think we missed the net five or six times on Grade-A chances," he says. "We're doing good things offensively but we certainly need to be better on the defensive side of the puck, we're just giving up too much."
Foudy says some tough-love from Letowski lit a fire under the Spitfires heading into the third.
"The first two periods weren't the best for us, but then in the third I felt like we came out strong as a team," says Foudy. "Me and [Igor] Larionov started to develop some chemistry out there and it was a great third."
Windsor sits in top spot in the OHL's Western-Conference — they host the Kitchener Rangers at the WFCU Centre Saturday at 7:05pm.
Tune into AM800 for all the action.
(Courtesy of www.windsorspitfires.com)