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Brown Locks it down, Spits Win in Double OT
windsorspitfires.com staff reports – Erie, PA
As he roamed the hallways of the Tullio Arena a couple hours before the biggest game of the year, Jeff Brown wore his patented smile.
"Let's get this done," he chirped at a few passing teammates.
Two nights earlier, the veteran winger played in his first-ever OHL playoff game, at the ripe old age of 20. On Saturday night, he scored the goal of his life. Brown's second of the game ended a marathon battle at 11:09 of the second overtime period, giving the Windsor Spitfires a huge, 4-3 win over Erie on Saturday night.
The victory pulled the Spits even at a game apiece in their opening round series with the Otters.
"It's a dream come true," Brown told windsorspitfires.com, outside a jubilant Spitfires room.
Ryan Ellis and Jake Carrick had the other Windsor goals and Jack Campbell was outstanding once again, stopping 40 shots for his first playoff win as a Spitfire.
Brown's first goal of the night gave the Spitfires the lead nearly five minutes into the second period. It stood up until Shawn Szydlowski grabbed a Mike Cazzola faceoff win and slipped it under Campbell to even things at 3-3, at the 6:23 mark of the third.
Both teams had multiple chances to end the game in the first overtime session, which included two power play chances on each side.
With both teams looking exhausted, the line of Brown, Taylor Carnevale and Kerby Rychel took charge after a couple strong shifts in the second OT. Brown grabbed a blocked shot that had Erie goalie Ramis Sadikov moving the wrong way, and got it off his stick quickly, sending 4,818 fans home entertained, but disappointed.
"At that point, no one is really fresh," Brown said. "But, ya, I thought we still had some good jump at that point."
Game 3 of this series goes Monday night at the WFCU Centre.
SCORING
FIRST PERIOD
ER - Cazzola, (1) (Szydlowski, Varone), 10:29 (PP)
WSR Carrick, (1) (Khokhlachev), 16:17
ER McKegg, (1) (Cazzola, Yogan), 17:36
WSR Ellis, (1) , (Johnston) 18:52
SECOND PERIOD
WSR Brown, (1) (Ellis, Campbell), 4:57
THIRD PERIOD
ER Szydlowski, (1) (Cazzola), 6:23
OVERTIME
NO SCORING
DOUBLE OVERTIME
WSR Brown, (2) (Carnevale), 11:09
SHOTS
WINDSOR: 9-11-10-11-8 = 49
ERIE: 10-6-9-14-4 = 43
POWER PLAYS
WINDSOR: 0-FOR-6
ERIE: 1-FOR-10
