They grow up so fast.

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They grow up so fast.

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A young Windsor Spitfires squad has exceeded expectations in so many different ways this season, but Sunday might have been the team’s most impressive feat.

Erasing a three-goal deficit, the Spitfires rallied fora 4-3 win over the London Knights, who are the No. 1-ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League.

“I believe that’s the best win of the season the way we came together,” Spitfires’ overage forward Noah Morneau said. “There was no quit. There was no panic. We know we can play with them.”

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The defending league champs, London could have clinched a playoff spot with a win on Sunday. Instead, the Spitfires became the first team in the league to beat the Knights twice this season.

“What a win for us,” said Spitfires’ rookie forward Ethan Belchetz, who had an assist and was a physical presence all game. “It was such a good win. Maybe the most fun game I’ve played in my life.”

Even more impressive, the Knights have let a third-period lead slip away just three times in 36 games this season. Two of those have come against the No. 6-ranked Spitfires, who scored the only two goals of the final frame on Sunday to grab the win before a crowd of 5,562 at the WFCU Centre.

“So proud of these kids,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “To get down 3-0, usually you can’t make those mistakes against the London Knights, but I never count these kids out and you saw it again.”

London used its Western Conference-leading power play to jump to a 2-0 lead with Denver Barkey converting on a two-man advantage and Kasper Halttunen adding another just 36 seconds later before the second penalty had expired. Walters admits he talked to his young club in the first intermission about whether the team was too young to meet the challenge.

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“I said to the guys after the first period, ‘Are we too young?’” Walters said “I never even thought about it before because we’ve had so much success. Are we too young and nervous in these big moments? Obviously, they took that to heart.”

But first, when Jesse Nurmi pounced on a rebound Henry Brzustewicz shot from the point to make it 3-0 early in the second period, Walters pulled starting goalie Joey Costanzo after just 12 shots.

“They had two power-play goals, but the third one was a rebound that I don’t think should have been a rebound,” Walters said. “Joey’s been so good for us, but you get down 3-0 and you want to get your team going.”

Carter Froggett came in and stopped all 13 shots he faced and Windsor slowly began its climb back.

Five seconds after a Windsor power play had expired, Morneau drilled a shot over Knights’ goalie Austin Elliott, who suffered his first loss in 21 decisions since arriving in London.

“It was just big for me to get that one and give our guys some life and inject a little energy into the building,” said Morneau, who is a Windsor native. “Growing up in Windsor and coming and watching the Spits and Knights play against each other, it’s such a good rivalry and it’s so much fun to be a part of it. It doesn’t take long to get into it. You know what it’s all about.”

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The Spitfires, who had eight power-play chances in the game, found success with the man advantage to pull even in the game.

Ilya Protas took a perfect cross-ice feed from Anthony Cristoforo to make it a one-goal game with 28 seconds left in the second period.

Protas tied the game just 53 seconds into the third period putting a rebound away on a Cristoforo shot.

“When you go into those games against London, you’ve got different blood flowing,” Belchetz said. “You’re always a little bit more ready to go in those game and you could feel it in the crowd. It’s such a good rivalry.”

A London power play set Windsor up for the game-winning goal. A.J. Spellacy won a race for a high, bouncing puck and went into to score a short-handed goal to give Windsor the lead for good.

With Windsor leading the West Division and London the Midwest Division, the two teams could be on a Western Conference collision course in the playoffs, but there’s still 20 games left in the regular season and two more meetings between the two rivals.

“We know they’re going to be there and we’re going to be there,” Morneau said of the playoffs. “We just have to keep moving and keep working.”

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The Spitfires are back on Wednesday against the Saginaw Spirit. Game time at the WFCU Centre is 7:05 p.m.

jpparker@postmedia.com

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Game Summary

Sunday Result

Spitfires 4 Knights

London 2 1 0 – 3

Windsor 0 2 2 – 4

First period: 1. London, Barkey 18 (Cowan, Halttunen) 16:24 (pp), 2. London, Halttunen 6 (Sim, Barkey) 17:00 (pp). Penalties: Allen L (cross checking) :23, Nesbitt W (interference) 7:03, Nesbitt W (holding opponents stick) 15:31, Spellacy W (delay of game) 16:00.

Second period: 3. London, Nurmi 7 (Brzustewicz, Julien) 2:34, 4. Windsor, Morneau 16 (Woodall, Abraham) 8:19, 5. Windsor, Protas 33 (Cristofor, Belchetz) 19:32 (pp). Penalties: Allen Lo (high sticking) 3:06, Cowan L (slashing) 6;14, Woolley L (fighting), Gaymes W (fighting) 6:14, Halttunen L (fighting), McNamara W (instigator, fighting, misconduct) 9:07, Dickinson L (tripping) 17:28, Bonk L (roughing) 18:50, Dickinson L (cross checking) 19:55.

Third period: 6. Windsor, Protas 34 (Cristoforo, Nesbitt) :53 (pp), 7. Windsor, Spellacy 13 (Kennedy) 8:41 (sh). Penalties: Cristoforo W (tripping) 8:29, Allen L (boarding) 14:49, Dickinson L (roughing), Belchetz W (roughing) 16:17, Bonk L (cross checking) 19:35. 

Game stats – SOG – London 10 9 6 – 25 Windsor 6 10 12 – 28 Goal (shots-saves) – London: Elliott (L,20-1-0-0) (28-24). Windsor: Costanzo (,26-8-1-1) (12-9), Froggett (2:24 of second period) (W,5-3-1-0) (13-13). Power play (goals-chances) – London 2-5. Windsor 2-8. Referees: Chad Ingalls and Alex Ross. Linesmen: Devon Gale and Andrew Langhorn. Att.: 5,652 at the WFCU Centre.

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