The Saginaw Spirit pulled off an impressive 5-2 victory over the Soo Greyhounds on Sunday, February 2nd, thanks to a dominant third-period performance led by Jacob Cloutier. Cloutier netted two goals, including the game-winner, while Zayne Parekh added a goal and an assist. Kaleb Papineau made 23 saves on 25 shots to earn the win in net, while Soo’s Nolan Lalonde stopped 44 of 47 shots in the losing effort.
The game started with the Greyhounds striking first. Travis Hayes found Marco Mignosa in the slot, and Mignosa’s quick shot beat Papineau to give Soo a 1-0 lead with just 2:43 left in the first period. The Greyhounds outshot Saginaw 16-8 in the opening frame.
Soo extended their lead in the second period when Jordan Charron tapped in a pass from Brady R. Smith, sending the puck through Papineau’s five-hole to make it 2-0. The Spirit struggled to break through against Lalonde, and the Greyhounds carried a 2-0 lead into the third period, with Saginaw being outshot 32-19.
The Spirit came alive in the final frame. Dima Zhilkin got Saginaw on the board with a power-play goal, tapping in a rebound off Lalonde for a 2-1 score. Moments later, Jacob Cloutier tied the game with a wrist shot from the slot, assisted by Carson Harmer and Calem Mangone, 7:56 into the third.
Cloutier then put the Spirit ahead with a stunning shot over Lalonde’s shoulder for his second goal of the game, giving Saginaw a 3-2 lead. Sebastien Gervais and Xander Velliaris earned assists on the go-ahead goal.
With just over three minutes remaining, Parekh added another goal, sending a shot from the blue line that found the back of the net to extend the lead to 4-2. Parekh’s goal marked his 24th of the season and his 200th assist in the OHL, making him the second-fastest in team history to reach the milestone.
Kristian Epperson sealed the win with an empty-net goal, assisted by Michael Misa, bringing the final score to 5-2. The Spirit outshot the Greyhounds 48-25 in the game, including a dominant 16-6 third period.
The Spirit had one power-play goal on nine opportunities, while the Greyhounds failed to convert on their three chances. Saginaw will now head to Windsor to face the Spitfires on Wednesday, February 5th, with puck drop set for 7:05 PM.
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