News Release

WHALERS LEAD, THEN COME FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT BRAMPTON, 7-6

PLYMOUTH – Chris Terry scored two goals and set up the equalizer with 0:25 left in regulation, then scored the deciding goal in a shootout as the Plymouth Whalers defeated the Brampton Battalion, 7-6, in an Ontario Hockey League game played Friday night before 2,641 at Compuware Arena.

Plymouth improves to 32-22-2-2, good for 68 points and fifth seed in the Western Conference playoff race. Brampton is now 35-20-1-3, good for 74 points and second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Besides Terry’s pair (team-leading 38th and 39th of the year), Vern Cooper scored twice (15-16) and AJ Jenks (25) and Ryan Hayes (9) one each for the Whalers. Six different players scored for Brampton – Kyle DeCoste (9), Jason Dale (9), Thomas Stajan (23), Cody Hodgson (team-leading 36th), Graham McNabb (16) and Bobby Sanguinetti (23).

Brampton came back from deficits of 1-0, 3-1 and 5-3 and took the lead at 6-5 with 1:17 remaining in regulation, only to see Cooper tie the game at 19:35 and Terry win the game in a shootout.

Plymouth led 1-0 after one period and 3-2 after forty minutes. Brampton outscored Plymouth, 4-3, in a wild third period. Cooper scored a shorthanded goal and his first of the night and 15th of the year at 1:33 of the period when he scored on a breakaway. After Stajan scored for Brampton at 2:34, Terry restored Plymouth’s two-goal bulge at 5-3 when he buried a shot from the lower rim of the right circle. Hodgson scored for Brampton at 13:22 with a shot from the right circle and McNabb tied the game at 5-5 in a scramble in front of the Plymouth goal. Sanguinetti gave Brampton their first lead at 6-5 at 18:43 when he snapped a shot from the slot past Whalers goaltender Jeremy Smith, but Cooper tied the game in a scramble in front of the Brampton goal when he scored from the right hashmark.

After a scoreless overtime, Terry scored his league-leading fifth shootout goal of the year when he skated in on Brampton goaltender Patrick Killeen and – after several fakes - stuffed the puck past the Battalion goaltender. Jenks sealed the win when he scored top-shelf past Killeen. Smith faced Brampton’s Luke Lynes (who shot the puck wide) and then stopped Sanguinetti to preserve the victory.

Plymouth is home on Saturday against Sault Ste. Marie at 7:05 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for all Plymouth games by calling the Compuware Arena at (734) 453-8400 or by going to Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com.

About the Plymouth Whalers

The Plymouth Whalers are the only Metro Detroit team in the Ontario Hockey League, a developmental league for National Hockey League players. The Whalers all range in age from 15-21 years-old and are consistently one of the top teams in the OHL. In 2006-07, the Whalers won the OHL Championship.   www.plymouthwhalers.com

About Compuware Arena

Compuware Arena is home to the 2007 Ontario Hockey League Champion Plymouth Whalers, the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Detroit Ignition, the Compuware Arena Drive-In Theatres, the MHSAA Boys State Hockey Championships and eight AAA Compuware Hockey youth teams. Compuware Arena serves more than one million patrons each year, and is located in Plymouth, Michigan. www.compuwarearena.com

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