Spits in a three team tussle
This is setting up as a race for first place that could go right down to the wire. With about five weeks to go on the regular season slate, there is a three-way tie for top spot in the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League between the Spitfires, the Kitchener Rangers and the Flint Firebirds.
All three teams have 75 points. Kitchener has played 52 games, which is one fewer than both Windsor and Flint. All OHL teams play a 68-game regular season slate.
All three teams are active this Family Day Weekend.
— Kitchener is on a three game road trip to Kingston, Ottawa and Peterborough.
— Flint also has three games on the road with stops in Guelph, Erie and Oshawa.
— The Spitfires have a home and home set with Saginaw. Windsor travels to mid Michigan for a Saturday night tilt before playing host to the Spirit in a Family Day Monday 2 p.m. matinee at the WFCU Centre.
Spitfires 6, Sarnia 4. Windsor kept pace with Kitchener and Flint on Thursday with a 6-4 home ice win over the lowly Sarnia Sting. It was somewhat of a sloppy performance by the Spitfires who at one point trailed 2-0 before staging a much needed comeback. Two goals by second year forward Ethan Belchetz gave the big lad 32 on the season. Cole Davis (with his 17th), Jack Nesbitt (with his 15th), Ethan Garden (with his 13th) and rookie Johnny McLaughlin (with his sixth) also scored for Windsor in front of rookie backup Michael Newlove, who made 18 saves for his ninth win of the season.
photo of Ethan Belchetz by Remo Agostino