SAGINAW, MI – After suffering its first Memorial Cup loss and facing an elimination game Friday, the Saginaw Spirit will have to listen to advice from a hockey expert. Joey Willis’ mom. “We have to have a short memory,” Willis said.
“Like a goldfish, my mom says. Ten seconds.” The Spirit will have to forget about the final 1:25 of Wednesday’s showdown with London and a breakaway goal by Easton Cowan that led to a 4-2 London win at the Dow Event Center.
“It was the close the whole game, back and forth with them,” Willis said. “They had a lucky break at the end, and he put it in. It’s hockey.
” The loss to London, which eliminated Saginaw from the OHL playoffs, sends Saginaw to Friday’s Memorial Cup semifinal against Moose Jaw, a team that the Spirit beat in the Cup opener, 5-4. The winner heads to Sunday’s championship game against London at 7:30 p.m.
The loser goes home. “It was everything it was billed to be ..
. it was a battle,” Saginaw coach Chris Lazary said. “One good break at the end, and they capitalized on it.
It was back and forth. These are two really good hockey teams. There were pushes when they were on us.
There were pushes when we were on them. “It was a big-boy game. We were one shot away from the final.
That’s tough, but that’s hockey.” Alex Christopoulos gave Saginaw the lead with a first-period goal, but Kasper Halttunen answered on a power-player goal for London to send the teams into the first intermission tied, 1-1.