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Noah Morneau is embracing a bigger offensive role with the Windsor Spitfires.
A Windsor native, the former 15th-round pick was originally signed because of his tenacious work ethic and strong defensive habits.
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However, with several veterans moved at the OHL trade deadline, the 19-year-old Morneau is now being counted on to add more offence.
“Everybody wants to be the guy that’s relied on to score and a guy that can get points,” Morneau said. “I think me coming into this role a little bit more is a confidence builder for me and I think it’s a confidence builder for the team that we can get some secondary scoring and it can only get better.”
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Morneau produced his first multi-goal game in two seasons with the Spitfires and his first three-point effort to help the Spitfires to a 7-4 win over the Owen Sound Attack before a crowd of 5,186 at the WFCU Centre on Saturday.
“He always gives you everything that he’s got from an effort point of view,” Spitfires’ interim head coach Casey Torres said of Morneau. “Obviously, the trade deadline’s opened up some other opportunities and he’s been able to step into the power play and his production’s coming up. He’s really adding some secondary offence to our team that we badly need. He’s been playing great.”
Morneau got the Spitfires on the board with his second power-play goal in as many games and rookie Jack Nesbitt drove the net to put home a rebound and give Windsor a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
But second periods have been a struggle for the team and Saturday was no exception.
“It’s happened a couple times this year where we go up in the first and as soon a the second hits, we start going back,” Spitfires’ forward A.J. Spellacy said.
Colby Barlow scored 12 seconds into the second period and Cedrick Guindon and Ethan Burroughs followed with goals to put the Attack up 3-2.
Ryan “Pucks” Pyette on the OHL
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“Certainly the second periods continue to be a problem for us and it’s not something that we’re not aware of and we’re talking a lot about,” Torres said. “For whatever reason, the pucks are going in before we even get our skates tied up it feels like.”
Over the club’s last four games, the Spitfires had conceded 10-unanswered goals in the second period to the opposition, but Morneau put an end to that streak.
He got the Spitfires even just 98 seconds after the Attack went ahead and defenceman Anthony Cristoforo put the Spitfires back on top just 37 seconds after that as Windsor took a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes.
“We let it slip a bit in the second, but we stayed in, fought and got two big goals to take the lead going into the third,” said Morneau, who has five goals and eight points in his last seven games. “We didn’t lay off the gas and that’s a big win for the confidence.”
Spellacy buried a penalty shot after having his stick chopped out of his hands on a breakaway and he buried the opportunity to restore Windsor’s two-goal lead.
“I’ve been twice this year,” Spellacy said of getting a penalty shot. “I’ve shot both times and scored. (Attack goalie Corbin Votary) was cheating a little to the right and I went low glove and it went in.”
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A Barlow power-play goal got the Attack back to within a goal, but Ryan Abraham scored an empty-net goal and Morneau fed Colton Smith for a goal in the final minute to seal the win.
“To get down and then fight back with the two quick goals to get back in front, I was really, really proud of how hard we played in the third period,” Torres said. “I thought we really embraced the hard jobs. Getting pucks out of our own zone, winning battles, 50-50 puck battles with our sticks and a couple of shot blocks at the end. I thought that was a real complete third period.”
The Spitfires are back in action on Wednesday against the Brantford Bulldogs at the WFCU Centre. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
jpparker@postmedia.com
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Game Summary
Saturday Result
Spitfires 7 Attack 4
Owen Sound 0 3 1 – 4
Windsor 2 2 3 – 7
First period: 1. Windsor, Morneau 8 (Nesbitt, Smith) 11:21 (pp), 2. Windsor, Nesbitt 5 (Greentree) 18:04. Penalty: Stewart OS (cross checking) 10:00.
Second period: 3. Owen Sound, Barlow 26 (Goure) :12, 4. Owen Sound, Guindon 23 (McCue) 6:15, 5. Owen Sound, 12:31, 5. Owen Sound, Burroughs 25 (Goure, Jordan) 12:31, 6. Windsor, Morneau 9 (Toms, Smith) 14:09, 7. Windsor, Cristoforo 5 (Abraham, Davis) 14:46. Penalties: None.
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Third period: 8. Windsor, Spellacy 11 (unassisted) 13:33 (ps), 9. Owen Sound, Barlow 27 (Goure) 15:17 (pp), 10. Windsor, Abraham 20 (Davis) 18:29 (en), 11. Windsor, Smith 10 (Morneau) 19:55. Penalties: Smith OS (high sticking) :55, Abraham W (holding opponent’s stick) 13:43, Martin W (slashing) 15:38.
Game stats – SOG – Owen Sound 13 11 9 – 33 Windsor 12 11 8 – 31 Goal (shots-saves) – Owen Sound: Votary (L,6–70-0) (30-24). Windsor: Costanzo (W,10-15-1-0) (33-30). Power play (goals-chances) – Owen Sound 1-2. Windsor 1-2. Referees: David Elford (11) and Drew Jackson (21). Linesmen: Will Lamoureux (85) and Kurtis Pare (70). Att.: 5,186 at the WFCU Centre.
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