Spirit improves to 16-11-0-3 with win in North York Tuesday
Some big-time goals have been scored at the Stouffville Arena during the Stouffville Spirit’s 30-year history.
Saturday’s game-winner against the Lindsay Muskies has to rank in anyone’s top 10. Hashtag it with both #unlikely and #dramatic.
“I don’t know what was better, the goal or the pass?” asked colour commentator Jason Rehel during the broadcast on 102.9FM whistlefm.ca radio and FloHockey TV.
Setting the stage.
The game was tied 1-1 when Spirit assistant captain Julian Demiglio was assessed a questionable penalty for interference with 2:40 to go in regulation. (So iffy was the call that Rehel’s broadcast partner, veteran junior hockey play-by-play announcer Chris Mayberry, thought the Muskies were being penalized for a high stick that clipped Demiglio’s chin.)
Lindsay would move the puck around efficiently with the extra man but could not beat Spirit goaltender Kyle Downey or the four penalty killers. The Muskies actually broke in 4-on-2 with 1:25 but Simon Wang fired the puck high into the glass from the slot at the south end of the arena.
Meanwhile, Demiglio, who is now in Calgary for the Team Canada East camp ahead of the Jr. A World Challenge, was itching to be released.
Downey, no slouch in the puck-handling department, got the play started, firing the puck up the boards to near the blue line. Lachlan Wells, who doesn’t normally play with Demiglio, put a pass onto the freshly-sprung and streaking Demiglio’s stick – off the east boards of the rink.
Geometry teachers would give it an A+.
“I couldn’t do it directly, so I had to bank it,” Wells said, admitting he hadn’t practised the pass. “Instinct, I guess. It was kind of lucky. (Demiglio) came out at the right time.”
Give an assist on the goal to long-time Spirit timekeeper Ed Matthews.
“As I was getting out of the box, there was like three seconds to go, (Ed) was like ‘Just shake the penalty off and go get me one’,” Demiglio said.
Mission accomplished.
Demiglio beat the Muskies netminder, rattled the Gatorade bottle and cued the arena’s goal horn.
Demiglio had a possible explanation for Wells’ banked pass on the game winner.
“It was the perfect angle,” he said. “On the bus we play a lot of iMessage games and there is a pool game, so….”
Evan Breckles added an empty-netter for the 3-1 victory.
The Spirit improved to 16-11-0-3 after defeating North York Tuesday. (See below)
Zack Corte is on a tear this week. (FloHockey image)
THE COMMUNITY:
SPIRITED PARADE
Look for the Spirit players in the Stouffville Santa Claus Parade this Saturday, Dec. 7, from 6 p.m. Thanks to Scott Burrows of Farmer Jack’s for driving our big, ‘Spirited’ truck. The parade route travels along Main Street, from Ninth Line to Park Drive, through downtown Stouffville.
TOSS YOUR TEDDIES
The Spirit will host its first-ever Teddy Bear Toss on Thursday, Dec. 12. The Spirit hosts the Aurora Tigers at the Stouffville Arena in its only home game during December that night. Game time is 7:30 p.m. In Teddy Bear Toss tradition, after the Spirit scores its first goal that night, fans will be invited to throw stuffed animals onto the ice surface. The stuffies will be collected and presented to the Lions Club of Stouffville for its annual toy drive.
If you don’t have a bear, you can purchase one that night from the Spirit. All proceeds will go to the Lions.
- Representatives from Stouffville’s Boston Pizza will be in the arena lobby that night collecting toys for the Lions drive at the Spirit’s Community Table.
- During the pregame, from 6:50 to 7:20 p.m., Stouffville recording artist Sofia Marie will sing Christmas songs in the lobby before performing the anthem on the ice.
THANKING BLOOD DONORS
As an official Hockey Gives Blood organization, Spirit players will be at the Canadian Blood Service clinic at Canadian Mar Thoma Church on Sandiford Drive Saturday thanking donors and presenting them with tickets for a game. To donate blood, go to blood.ca
The Spirit is proud to be the first Ontario Junior Hockey League to join the Hockey Gives Blood movement in 2018. Hockey Gives Blood is a non-profit organization that partners with Canadian Blood Services to raise awareness about the importance of donating blood, plasma, stem cells, organs, and tissues.
SCHOOL CHALLENGE
Spirit players will be making a couple of appearances at Oscar Peterson Public School this winter. On Dec. 18, the Spirit will take on the Oscar Peterson staff at the Hoover Park Drive school. Players will return in the new year for a reading event.
CHURCH NIGHT WITH THE SPIRIT
St. James Presbyterian Church is holding its fourth Spirit Hockey Night Jan. 11. Members will dine at Spirit sponsor Boston Pizza that night before taking in the OJHL game at the Stouffville Arena.
THE SCHEDULE
Stouffville at Markham, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m.
Stouffville at Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Dec. 8, 7:15 p.m.
Aurora at Stouffville, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Stouffville at Trenton, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.
All games broadcast on 102.9FM whistlefm.ca radio and FloHockey TV https://www.flohockey.tv/leagues/10826657-ontario-junior-hockey-league-ojhl (subscription required).
THE SCORES
Stouffville 3, Lindsay 1, Nov. 30
Julian Demiglio netted the last-minute game winner after Zack Corte had given the Spirit a 1-0 lead on a bullet from the slot. Evan Breckles scored his team-leading 15th into the empty net.
Stouffville 3, North York 2, Dec. 3
Corte stayed red hot, scoring twice and assisting on the other Spirit goal, scored by Riley Pope. The Spirit built a 3–0 lead and held on. Kyle Downey recorded his second win in four days. The hard-working Pope leads the team in points with 33 (13 goals/20 assists). Pope and Corte are in their third season in Spiritville.
Spirit This Week is sponsored by Farmer Jack’s in Stouffville and Sharon.
