Mar 01, 2025 | Winterhawks News | 227 views
Tough Start for Winterhawks
It's only one game, but it was not an ideal start for the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks.
A depth-challenged Winterhawks squad went into Ripley for Game 1 of their Ontario Elite Hockey League semi-final series and dropped a 7-1 decision to the Wolves.
It was an uphill battle to begin the night, missing a number of players due to injuries and life commitments.
Ripley opened the scoring less than a minute into the game on a seeing-eye spin shot that eluded Winterhawks goalie Clayton Fritsch, who had a busy night ahead of him.
The Winterhawks then killed off a pair of penalties before Ripley went ahead 2-0 when Fritsch made two spectacular saves off a Wolves rush.
Unfortunately, the third chance lay in the crease and the Ripley player cleaned up before a Winterhawk could get a stick on it.
The Winterhawks answered back late in the period when Justin Marlowe put on his work boots and dug in to keep a puck in the Ripley zone. His shot was tipped in front by Jordan Vanhaelemeesch to cut the Ripley lead to 2-1 after one.
The physicality ramped up dramatically in the second period as the two rivals really got reacquainted with each other.
The end result was a pretty constant, and well earned, parade to the penalty box for both teams throughout the rest of the game.
Ripley went ahead 3-1 on a power play late in the second to put the Winterhawks in a hole heading to the third.
The Wolves put the game away in the third with a pair of goals in the opening two minutes, and from there, it was all about setting up the series for Game 2, with both sides engaging in rough stuff and physical play.
A last minute fight capped off the game, which will see both combatants suspended for Game 2 due to both receiving a game misconduct in the final 10 minutes of the game.
The series now moves to The Plex for Game 2 on Sunday evening, with a 5:15 p.m. start. The Winterhawks lineup is expected to receive a boost with two big names returning to the lineup.