Firebirds fend off Greyhounds’ comeback effort in 5-3 victory

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Coulson Pitre scored the game-winning goal and Zacharie Giroux added one more for insurance as the Flint Firebirds defeated the Soo Greyhounds 5-3 on Wednesday.

Gavin Hayes and Brennan Othmann put Flint (1-1-0) on the board first to go up 2-0 early in the second. Later in the period, Soo (1-2-0) responded with goals from Bryce McConnell-Barker and Kalvyn Watson to tie things up.

Following a Riley Piercey goal that allowed the Firebirds to take a 3-2 lead into the final period,Matthew Virgilio answered the bell for the Greyhounds to make it a 3-3 game 1:29 into the third.

Pitre scored a short-handed goal at the midway mark to put Flint up 4-3 before Giroux added an empty-net goal on a power play with 47 seconds remaining in the game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2022.