The Windsor Spitfires have been very adept a shaking off a tough loss.

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The Windsor Spitfires have proven very adept a shaking off a tough loss this season.

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After falling to a Guelph Storm team with the worst record in the Western Conference on Friday, the Spitfires picked up the pieces and got back in the win column on Saturday.

A solid performance by goalie Joey Costanzo and dominant effort by the club’s top line of Liam Greentree, Ilya Protas and overager Noah Morneau paved the way for a 6-3 road win over the Owen Sound Attack before a crowd of 2,653 at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.

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“I think something that we have done really well this year is bouncing back after tough losses and this weekend showed the resilience we have as a team,” Greentree said.

The Spitfires got a lot of mileage from its top line, which accounted for five goals and 11 points on Saturday.

“Joey was real good for us and our best players were our best players,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “That (top) line’s tough and almost unstoppable.”

Greentree and Protas have played together for much of this season, but Walters moved Morneau onto the line three games ago.

“I love playing with both Ilya and Noah,” Greentree said. “I think Noah is one of the hardest workers I’ve met met and that makes it so easy to play with him. He’s also been such a key player in our success this year.”

Tristan Delisle’s power-play goal had the Attack up 1-0 early, but Greentree and Protas countered to give Windsor a 2-1 lead after the opening period.

“We go through our bad times like other teams, but this group is resilient,” Walters said.

That included playing Saturday’s match without overage defenceman Tnias Mathurin, who was sidelined with an upper-body injury that is not projected to be long term.

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“There’s no such thing as a bad shot in their rink,” said Costanzo, who made 35 saves to record his league-leading 16th win in net. “T (Mathurin) is definitely a leader on our team. That being said, I think the rest of our (defensive) core did a great job stepping up and filling in those minutes and blocking some big shots.”

Lighthouse Cove’s Declan Waddick pulled the Attack even just 46 seconds into the second period, but Morneau scored on a Windsor power play and Greentree netted his second to chase Owen Sound starting goalie Carter George and give the Spitfires a 4-2 lead after 40 minutes.

“Really just talked about playing Spits hockey and defence first and making sure we’re managing the pucks,” Walters said of the plan to shake off Friday’s 6-2 loss to Guelph.

Braedyn Rogers got the Attack within a goal with eight minutes left in regulation, but no closer as Cole Davis restored Windsor’s two-goal lead with just under three minutes to play. Greentree finished things off with an empty-net goal for just his third career hat-trick performance for the third-year winger.

“Well, I’ve had three now, but I had family (in Owen Sound), so it’s always special when they get to see me get rewarded like that,” Greentree said.

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Greentree finished with four points is now fourth in league scoring with 44 points in 26 games. Protas also finished with four points and is tied for 10th in league scoring with 36 points in 24 games. Morneau had three points and is now third in team scoring with 29 points in 27 games.

“Once he starts feeling it, he’s a scary man with that skill, size and compete level,” Walters said of Greentree. “With Morneau, the work ethic and defensive play frees those guys up more and he can also make plays with them.”

With Saturday’s win, the club closed out the month of November with a 9-4-1-0 record to improve to 19-6-2-0 overall atop the West Division.

“It’s nice to see us climb the standings,” Costanzo said. “We are being rewarded for our hard work.

“I think it speaks to how close we are as a group and how we are able to battle through adversity. Every guy in our room knows that we have each other’s backs.”

Saturday’s win was also Windsor’s ninth on the road this season, which is tied for the second most away from home in the league with the club having already played over 44 per cent of its road games.

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“It goes to our character and how the kids play,” said Walters, whose team is now 9-4-2-0 away from home. “They’re not intimidated by anything and I’m proud of our road record,” 

The Spitfires are off until Saturday when the club will face the Kitchener Rangers at the WFCU at 7:05 p.m. followed by a Sunday home match against the Saginaw Spirit at 4:05 p.m.

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Game Summary

Saturday Result

Spitfires 6 Attack 3

Windsor 2 2 2  – 6

Owen Sound 1 1 1 – 3

First period: 1. Owen Sound, Delisle 6 (McCue, Hookey) 3:33 (pp), 2. Windsor, Greentree 15 (Morneau, Protas) 8:49, 3. Windsor, Protas 16 (unassisted) 10:38. Penalties: Walton W (tripping) 3:13, Crawford OS (high sticking) 5:54, Gaymes W (roughing), Rogers OS (roughing) 14:48, Greentree W (cross checking, roughing), Hookey OS (slashing) 16:03.

Second period: 4. Owen Sound, Waddick 6 (McDonald, Nansi) :46, 5. Windsor, Morneau 10 (Protas, Greentree) 3:04 (pp), 6. Windsor, Greentree 16 (Morneau, Eichler) 5:44. Penalties: Eichler W (roughing), Hookey OS (slashing, roughing) 1:49, Eichler W (boarding) 6:06, Mbuyi OS (tripping) 10:09, Waddick OS (tripping) 11:25

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Third period: 7. Owen Sound, Rogers 4 (Kindree, Varosyan) 11:58, 8. Windsor, Davis 9 (Martin) 17:21, 9. Windsor, Greentree 17 (Protas) 18:54 (en). Penalty: Martin W (slashing) 3:51.

Game stats – SOG – Windsor 12 12 9 – 33 Owen Sound 16 14 8 – 38 Goal (shots-saves) – Windsor: Costanzo (W,16-4-1-0) (38-35). Owen Sound: George (L,4-11-2-3) (16-12), Koprowski (5:44 of second period) (16-15). Power play (goals-chances) – Windsor 1-4. Owen Sound 1-4. Referees: Scott Ferguson and Kevin McArthur. Linesmen: Will Dykeman and Andre Grougou. Att.: 2,653 at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.

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