Mar 01, 2026 | Winterhawks News | 108 views
Winterhawks Jump Out to Series Lead
The Saugeen Shores Winterhawks grabbed a pair of victories against the Shelburne Muskies to open their playoff series.
The Winterhawks took identical 8-3 wins, first on Friday night at The Plex to open their Ontario Elite Hockey League "A" semi-final.
Miles MacLean, Rob Flick and Justin Marlowe opened the scoring in the first to pace the Winterhawks to an early 3-0 lead.
Shelburne answered back with two of their own early in the second to cut the Winterhawks lead to 3-2, but Ethan Froats and Todd Hellyer returned the favour and the Winterhawks three-goal lead was restored at the end of the second period.
Shelburne cut the lead to 5-3 early in the third, but goals by Froats, Flick and Josh Urbshott put the game away with authority, the Winterhawks taking an 8-3 win and a 1-0 series lead.
Eric Peicheff made 32 saves for the win in goal, while Flick (2G, 2A), Marlowe (1G, 3A) and Brent MacDermid (4 assists) recorded four points each in Game 1.
The Winterhawks hit the road to Shelburne for Game 2 on Sunday afternoon, and despite a short bench, returned home with another 8-3 victory.
Froats continued his hot weekend, opening the scoring on an unassisted marker 1:36 into the game.
Shelburne answered back with a shorthanded goal to tie it at 1-1, but Clayton Fitzsimmons and Mike Fiegehen scored to give the Winterhawks a 3-1 lead after one.
The Muskies got to within one early in the second, but Flick restored the two goal lead at 14:28 of the second, and the Winterhawks took a 4-2 lead to the third.
The Winterhawks had peppered Shelburne netminder Gatlin Burt all afternoon, and the dam finally burst in the third period, with Fiegehen, Flick, Urbshott and Logan Freiburger scoring in the third period, while Shelburne could only get one past Peicheff.
With the score out of hand, things got a little out of hand in the final minute with Burt heading to the showers early courtesy of an instigator and fighting major that only he participated in.
Peicheff made 38 saves for this second win of the weekend, with another 8-3 victory in Game 2.
The Winterhawks head home with a 2-0 series lead for Game 3 on Friday night, March 6th, when they host the Muskies at 8:30 p.m. at The Plex.