Swartz Creek View

Firebirds notch fifth win of the season




Flint’s Fedor Gordeev corrals the puck during a game with the Mississauga Steelheads earlier this season. Photo by Todd Boone/Flint Firebirds

Flint’s Fedor Gordeev corrals the puck during a game with the Mississauga Steelheads earlier this season. Photo by Todd Boone/Flint Firebirds

FLINT – The Flint Firebirds put on quite the show for the capacity crowd at the Dort Federal Event Center on Saturday in a 5-2 victory over the Windsor Spitfires.

CJ Clarke got on a hot streak instantly, netting the game’s first goal just 2:47 into the game and then added another only five minutes later. Ethan Keppen’s tally late in the frame put Flint up 3-0, one of its biggest leads of the season. The Spitfires tried to make a game of it in the second period, cutting the Firebirds’ lead to 3-2 heading into the final frame.

However, Flint slammed the door shut in the third when Eric Uba buried the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining, followed by Jake Durham tallying an insurance marker for the win.

Evan Morrison earn his first victory between-the-pipes, making 21 saves on 23 shots in his second of back-to-back starts.

Saturday marked the third of six meetings between the Firebirds and Spitfires this season, and the second of three in Flint. The first time these clubs collided, the Firebirds defeated the Spitfires 3-1. Heading into the matchup, all-time, Flint held an overall record of 6-12-1-0 versus Windsor and 4-6-0- 0 against the Spitfires in Flint.

Saturday also marked the third time that Firebirds’ coach Eric Wellwood faced the Windsor Spitfires as a Head Coach in the OHL. Wellwood currently resides in Windsor and played for the Spitfires from 2007-10, winning backto back Memorial Cup Championships in 2009 & 2010. Wellwood later went on to be drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers and recorded 10 points in 31 NHL games before sustaining a career ending injury.

Friday did not go as well for the Firebirds in a 9-2 loss to the Erie Otters at home.

The game started out fine with Riley McCourt’s fourth goal of the year just 2:30 into the game before Erie notched six straight goals. Uba found the net early in the third, but three more Erie goals took away any momentum that Flint was trying to build.

The Firebirds remain in last place at 5-30-2-0 for 12 points and were at Saginaw on Sunday, following press deadlines, and welcome Saginaw on Wednesday.

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