Spits win on late goal

by Rob Benneian

For the second time this season, a third period goal by Kerby Rychel propelled the Windsor Spitfires to a home win over the Soo Greyhounds.

Rychel poked home a rebound with 4:18 to play after Soo goaltender Matt Murray made the initial save on Zach Lorentz. The win marked just the second time Windsor has won consecutive games this year, with the other coming Sept. 22 and 27. Rychel’s eighteenth of the season capped a comeback from a two-goal deficit.

Rookie Russian right winger Sergei Tolchinsky opened the scoring at 7:03 of the first period when he fired one past Windsor’s Jaroslav Pavelka. Michael Schumacher, who assisted on Tolchinsky’s goal, made it 2-0 nearly eight minutes into the second period.

“We got down by two and it was getting iffy,” said Spits forward Josh Ho-Sang. “Then we started scoring and we started rolling.”

Ho-Sang kick-started the offence with a behind-the-back, cross-ice feed to a streaking Ben Johnson, who roofed it over Murray. A power play goal by Brady Vail tied things up and set the stage for Rychel’s winner.

“I saw Johnny (Ben Johnson), and I make it a priority of mine to know everyone’s handedness on the team so I don’t even have to look,” Ho-Sang said. “I know Johnny’s a lefty so I just gave him the pass in a space he could get it. It’s just a feel for the game. Sometimes I try to feel it too much, but tonight it worked out.”

Pavelka faced 40 shots, the tenth time he has done so in 23 games played.

“I said to myself ‘we need these points,'” Pavelka said. “Sault Ste. Marie is probably my favourite team (to play against). I always play good versus Sault Ste. Marie. I’ve beaten them three times this year.”

The win lifted the Spitfires out of a tie with the Greyhounds and Saginaw Spirit for sole possession of third place in the Ontario Hockey League’s West Division.

Next up for the Spits is a team they are chasing in the standings, the Sarnia Sting.

The two clubs will face off Dec. 7 in Sarnia at the RBC Centre.