SAGINAW, MI-
After meeting twice during the OHL pre-season, the Hounds and Saginaw Spirit reacquainted themselves on Saturday Night in a game that was the first of a home and home series between the West Division rivals.

Entering the game, the Hounds were reeling off a dramatic 4-3 win over Sarnia on Friday while Saginaw shutout the Sudbury Wolves 5-0 on Thursday Night.

MATT MURRAY (SSM) and Jake Paterson (SAG) would get their 4th consecutive start for their respective clubs.

And both teams had their early chances in the first period.
The line of BRANDON ALDERSON, MICHAEL SCHUMACHER and NICK COUSINS provided some early offensive threats combined by rearguard RYAN SPROUL but were unable to find the back of the net early.
Meanwhile at the other end of the ice Vincent Trocheck found the iron around MURRAY that kept game scoreless in the opening ten minutes.

Saginaw had built up an early 7-1 shot advantage but the Hounds would go unphased and later kill off penalties four minutes apart to stay scoreless.

Saginaw outshot the Hounds 13-6 in the first period but the teams entered the dressing room tied at zero.

DAVID BROLL opened the scoring 7:19 into the second period jumping on the rebound of a SPROUL point shot to give the Hounds the 1-0 lead.  For Broll, the goal marked his 2nd of the season.

SERGEY TOLCHINSKY and JARED MCCANN broke into the Spirit zone minutes later on an odd-man situation that resulted in a good scoring opportunity but the one-goal lead remained.

Just over the midway point of the period Eric Locke was given a feed from the corner to MURRAY's left and fired home the tying goal and then less than a minute later (55 seconds) Frank Schumacher fired a low shot from the point to give the Spirit a 2-1 lead following two periods of play.

The Hounds built off some pressure from the trio of MITCHELL DEMPSEY, MARK PETACCIO and DYLAN STAPLES late in the period and outshot Saginaw 12-9 in the middle frame.

Fast forward to the midway point of the third where SCHUMACHER'S attempt low with just 10:48 left was foiled by the Spirt netminder and game entered the final minutes with Saginaw holding on to a one goal lead.

After calling a time out, the Hounds pulled MURRAY from the net with just over a minute left and the team responded.
The Hounds won the face-off in the Spirit zone, a SPROUL shot left a rebound that this time SCHUMACHER would make not mistake and with just 43 seconds remaining the Hounds tied things up at two goals.
SPROUL and COUSINS picked up the assists.

Once again the Hounds put in a solid third period that saw them outshoot the Spirit by a 15-9 advantage.

Then in overtime, NICK COUSIN'S completed the comeback notching his 3rd goal of the season, from TOLCHINSKY and SPROUL to give the Hounds a 3-2 victory just three minutes in.

The win provided a sweep of the weekend's two games for the Hounds and improved their record to 3-1-0-0 on the early season.

Next action for the Hounds is the start of a three-game homestead beginning this coming Wednesday, October 3rd versus the same Saginaw team.
Opening face-off is set for 7:07 p.m. at the Essar Centre.
Tickets can be purchased at the Essar Centre Box Office beginning Monday morning at 10 a.m., online at www.essarcentre.ca or by phone at 1-866-775-9422.

GAMENOTES:
- Hounds scratches were;  2 Matt Fuller, 16 Ryan Kirkup, 18 Nick Halagian, 20 Trent Mallette, 37 Mac Clutsam
- Powerplay went 1-for-7, while penalty kill was 6-for-7 on the night
- Red Star Three Stars;  1-Nick Cousins, SSM .. 2-Ryan Sproul, SSM and 3-Frank Schumacher, SAG
- Hounds outshot Saginaw 36-32 and 27-18 over the final two periods