FAST & HARD FIRST ROUND EXIT FOR WINDSOR SPITFIRES

LONDON 8 WINDSOR 3

A gutsy battle waged by a young Spitfires club ended Thursday night, as the London Knights capped an opening round series sweep with an 8-3 win at the WFCU Centre.

The game was the last in the Ontario Hockey League for overagers John Cullen, Zack MacQueen and Derek Holden.

Kerby Rychel, Chris Marchese and Michael Clarke scored for Windsor.

Ryan Rupert scored three goals for London and Chris Tierney added a pair, as the Knights moved on to the Western Conference semi-finals.

"I knew we were in tough," head coach Bob Boughner told windsorspitfires.com. "I thought when it started we could win a game or two and make it interesting. But that didn't happen."

Boughner said he wants his young returning core to take something from the experience.

"I talked to them about remembering this feeling. About turning this into something positive down the road."

SCORING
1ST PERIOD
LDN R.RUPERT (1) (WELYCHKA, HORVAT) 4:09
LDN WELYCHKA (1) (ATHANASIOU, MAATTA) 7:56
WSR RYCHEL (2) 16:22

2ND PERIOD
LDN MCKEGG (1) (NAMESTNIKOV) 1:10
LDN R.RUPERT (2) (MCKEGG, GRIFFITH) 3:18 PP
LDN TIERNEY (2) (ANDERSON, TINORDI) 7:12

3RD PERIOD
WSR MARCHESE (1) (DEVLIN, JOHNSON) 13:05
LDN R.RUPERT (3) (DOMI, COOK) 14:49 PP
LDN TIERNEY (3) 17:18 SH
LDN ATHANASIOU (1) 18:11 SH
WSR CLARKE (1) (POSA, BATEMAN) 19:26

SHOTS
WSR 13 - 7 - 19 = 39
LDN 10 - 14 - 16 = 40

PPS
WSR 0-FOR-2
LDN 2-FOR-5

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SPITFIRES DIG 2-0 HOLE IN OHL PLAYOFFS

GAME TWO: KNIGHTS 3 SPITS 2
The home side watched a two-goal lead evaporate in a 49-second span of the second period, before a former Spitfire potted the winner, as the London Knights escaped the WFCU Centre with a 3-2 win Game Two of their Western Conference quarter-final on Sunday afternoon.

Nick Czinder staked the Spits to a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals in the opening 20. The first came off a tip of a Jeff Braithwaite point blast just as a penalty expired at 11:53; the second just 3:22 later with an extra man.

Some sound defensive play and more outstanding goaltending from Jaroslav Pavelka (29 saves) made the lead hold up until the waning minutes of the second period.

But a pair of power play goals (18:49 and 19:38) by Seth Griffith tied the game in a hurry.

The winner came off a turnover at the London blue line, as Watson picked up a loose puck, moved into the Windsor zone and tucked a deft wrist shot under the bar with 10:03 to play.

The Spits won't have long to dwell on their Game Two loss, as the bus heads for London Sunday night, in advance of Game Three Monday night at the JLC.

SCORING
1ST PERIOD
WSR CZINDER (1) (BRAITHWAITE, BATEMAN) 11:53
WSR CZINDER (2) (MALETTA, JOHNSON) 15:15 PP

2ND PERIOD
LDN GRIFFITH (1) (MCKEGG, MAATTA) 18:53 PP
LDN GRIFFITH (2) (MAATTA, R. RUPERT) 19:38 PP

3RD PERIOD
LDN WATSON (1) 9:57

SHOTS
WSR 10 - 4 - 7 = 21
LDN 9 - 15 - 8 = 32

PPS
WSR 1-FOR-6
LDN 2-FOR-6

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OHL WCQF GAME ONE: KNIGHTS 3 SPITS 0

(London) Vlad Namestnikov scored the game-winning goal in the first period and added an assist, as the London Knights blanked the Spitfires 3-0 in Game One of their Western Conference quarter-final series Friday night at the John Labatt Centre.

Scott Harrington chipped in a pair of assists and Michael Houser made just 21 saves for the shutout, as the Knights took a 1-0 series lead, heading back to Windsor for Game Two on Sunday afternoon.

The stories of the night were Jaroslav Pavelka's outstanding play (33 saves) and Windsor's inability to generate offense. The Spits finished the night with just three scoring chances.

Namestnikov blew by Adam Bateman before beating Pavelka with a quick shot high to the glove side, opening the scoring at 7:13 of the first period.

Bo Horvat followed up with his first of the series, as he outmuscled Brandon Devlin and busted right in on to make it 2-0 at 12:21.

The teams played a scoreless second period, in which the Knights outshot the Spits 13-6.

Jared Knight made it 3-0 just seven seconds into a power play at 2:53 of the third period.

The Spits failed to convert with 1:56 of power play time later in the frame.

Winger Ty Bilcke left the game in the third period and did not return. His status for Sunday's game is unknown.


SCORING
1ST PERIOD
LDN NAMESTNIKOV (1) (GRIFFITH, HARRINGTON) 7:13
LDN HORVAT (1) (HOUSER) 12:21

2ND PERIOD
NO SCORING

3RD PERIOD
LDN KNIGHT (1) (HARRINGTON, NAMESTNIKOV) 2:53 PP

SHOTS
WSR 7 - 6 - 8 = 21
LDN 12 - 13 - 11 = 36

PPS
WSR 0-FOR-6
LDN 1-FOR-5

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