The Memorial Cup hosts have kicked off the tournament on the right foot, as they beat the WHL Champions in the first game of the round robin.
The Saginaw Spirit have made their presence known in the Memorial Cup thus far, proving that they are not just the hosting team. In their first game of the round robin, Saginaw's pressure suffocated the Moose Jaw Warriors, as the Spirit took a 5-4 win.
Out of the gates, Saginaw was the more dominant team. They didn't give Moose Jaw much space to move, and anytime the Warriors thought they had a lane, a Spirit player closed it off in a hurry. Warriors goaltender Jackson Ungar was outstanding early on, but eventually Saginaw's offensive pressure got the best of him.
Saginaw entered this game knowing that they had to shut down the Warriors high-end offensive talent if they were going to find success. They did just that for a majority of this game.
With time winding down in the first period, Zayne Parekh took the puck in the offensive zone — and went to work. Parekh danced with the puck down low, before wheeling it back up to the point. He let a shot go, and with 33 seconds remaining in the period, Nic Sima deflected the puck into the back of the net.
The home crowd exploded with joy, and the Spirit took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Things got a little more exciting in the second period, as six goals were scored between the two teams. Owen Beck, Zayne Parekh, and Jorian Donovan all consecutively put up goals for the Spirit, going up 4-0 in the game.
Within the remaining two minutes of the second period, Moose Jaw tallied three — coming within just one of tying the game.
To this point, Saginaw was still the more dominant team overall. They continued to pepper Ungar with shots, they kept their defensive gaps tight, and didn't give Moose Jaw a whole lot of room to work with.
Rodwin Dionicio and Zayne Parekh were especially noticeable from the blue line, as they each generated loads of chances each time they were on the ice. Both defenders have sky high confidence on this grand stage, and they will continue to be large factors for the Spirit.
In the third, the momentum continued to sway in Saginaw's favour. Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom found the back of the net just under two minutes into the third frame, adding an insurance marker to make it 5-3.
Moose Jaw would only get one more goal back, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. They had plenty of opportunities with the goalie pulled, but Andrew Oke and the Saginaw Spirit were able to hold on to take the win.
The game concluded 5-4 in favour of the Saginaw Spirit, who made the home crowd happy in game one of the Memorial Cup. Zayne Parekh was awarded Player of the Game against Moose Jaw, as he put up three points individually, but helped his team generate a large majority of their offence.
Saginaw hits the ice again on Sunday, where they will play against the Drummondville Voltigeurs.