Spirit battle back from down 2 to force OT before dropping a 4-3 shootout loss to the Barrie Colts

 

The Saginaw Spirit (9-6-1-1) battled back from a two goal deficit to force overtime, before eventually falling in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Barrie Colts at the Dow Event Center in downtown Saginaw Friday night.

 

The Spirit went down by 2-goals in the first frame when Barrie forward Ryan Suzuki (4) put the Colts up 1-0 midway through the first, while Jacob Tortora (2) followed with a late power play goal at 19:36 of the first to give the Colts a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission. 

 

Saginaw answered with a power play goal when Ethan Cardwell (5) scored to cut the Barrie lead to 2-1 with assists from D.J. Busdeker and Cole Perfetti at 3:02 of the second period, but Colts defenseman Tyler Tucker (3) added another late period goal to take a 3-1 Barrie lead at 19:56 of the second period. 

 

Spirit forward Blade Jenkins (5) cut the Barrie lead to 3-2 late in the third with his fifth of the season from Danny Katic and Mason Millman at 14:52 of the third, before Damien Giroux (13) tied the game at 3-goals apiece with a power play goal with assists coming from Perfetti and Ilya Solovyov at the 18:04 mark, which led to overtime and eventually a shootout where the Colts would ultimately prevail. 

 

The Spirit will look to get back on track, welcoming the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year when defending Ontario Hockey League champion, the Guelph Storm visit for a 7:05 pm face off at the Dow Event Center tonight.