ALL EYES ON THE BALL
University of Windsor Lancers’ Lucas Orlita scores against Laurentian Voyageurs’ J.D. West, left, in the first quarter of OUA men’s basketball action from St. Denis Centre on Saturday. Windsor blew a first-half lead and lost 90-63.
Sometimes, you just have to be happy with the small victories.
For much of Sunday’s game, the Windsor Spitfires seemed to be fighting an uphill battle against the Flint Firebirds.
With the goalie on the bench for an extra attacker, the Spitfires scored in the final minute of regulation to force overtime and earn a point, but eventually fell 4-3 to the Firebirds before 4,972 at the WFCU Centre.
“I don’t think it’s our best effort, by any means,” Spitfires captain Aaron Luchuk said. “I thought we had way too many passengers.
“Obviously, we had a pretty good surge at the end to get it to overtime and kind of an unlucky bounce in OT and it led to a breakaway (goal) and it ended pretty quick. So, it’s a tough one to swallow for us, but a pretty good weekend overall.”
Sunday’s loss ended Windsor’s three-game win streak, but the club still has at least a point in its last four games.
“Points are huge in the Western Conference because it’s so competitive,” Luchuk said.
But the Spitfires had hoped for so much more against a Flint team that has already dealt many of its best players and has the worst record in the Ontario Hockey League.
“It’s never going to be easy in our league,” Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski said.
Windsor was dominant early with William Sirman putting the
Spitfires up 1-0 early, but Flint’s Connor Roberts tied the game with a wrist shot from along the boards at the top of the faceoff circle that eluded rookie goalie Brock Baier.
“We need a save there, no question,” Letowski said. “We were just pushing. It seemed the ice was tilted (in Windsor’s favour) and it’s deflating when you give up a goal like that.”
From there, the Spitfires’ offence seemed to stall and the club was twice forced to rally to tie the game.
Luchuk’s goal in the final minute of the second period got Windsor even at 2-2 after Maurizio Colella had put Flint up
“We needed an above-average effort,” Spitfires defenceman Austin McEneny said. “Honestly, we just weren’t doing the little things. I just think we weren’t ready to play today.”
Jake Durham’s goal for Flint, less than five minutes into the third period, looked as though it would stand as the winner, but a late power-play chance by the Spitfires turned into the equalizer with Baier on the bench as Jake Smith tied it with 46 seconds left in regulation.
“Some guys weren’t going and that’s kind of the recipe,” Letowski said. “I talk about it a lot. With our team, we need most guys going to win and we didn’t have that.”
Which is why the club could consider itself lucky to get a point and not shocked to lose in overtime when Ty Dellandrea picked off a cross-ice feed and fed Smereck for the breakaway winner.
“The extra (point) would have been huge, but it’s still nice to get five out of six,” Luchuk said. “Obviously, you want more.
“It’s just one of those games where we needed more out of everyone, myself included, and I think this games with a different score by a long shot if we give a full effort.”