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The Task Gets Harder
-- Junior B Hockey
Although the Predators
managed to beat the Flyers the gap between them is
bigger as the end of the regular season draws
closer. They were bolstered by the fact they knew
they played well on the previous Sunday in Chatham.
The team maintained their momentum when they
visited Leamington last Thursday. In what loomed as
a 4 point game and a must win the Predators downed
the Flyers 4 – 2 and narrowed the gap in the
standings to 6 points.
The Flyers opened the
scoring at 7:39 of the first period but took a
penalty 15 seconds later. The Predator power play
responded with a goal to tie the game when Brandon
Stewart scored after taking a pass from Ben Woodley.
It was a penalty filled first period that ended with
the teams knotted at one goal each. The referee’s
weren’t as busy in the second period with both teams
being called for 2 penalties. It was the Predators
who scored the lone goal in the period to take a 2 –
1 lead into the third. Cody Curts got the goal with
Coy Kulich and Brandon Stewart earning assists.
Leamington scored quickly, just 18 seconds into the
third to tie the game at 2 – 2 but then got
themselves in penalty trouble. Again with the odd
man advantage Ben Woodley passed to Brandon Stewart
who netted the eventual game winner at 4:17 of the
period.
The Flyers got called
for another penalty with less than a minute left but
had to pull out all the stops to try and earn a tie.
With their net empty and the Predators having the
odd man advantage it allowed Matt Melo to put the
icing on the cake with an empty net goal. Assists
went to Kalvin Thornton and Ben Woodley who along
with Brandon Stewart earned three points in game.
Sean Parker earned the win in the game after making
39 saves.
Unfortunately for the
Predators last Saturday night proved to be unlucky.
The team only managed to score one goal in what was
an eventual 5 – 1 loss to the St. Thomas Stars.
Duncan MacSorley got the goal on assists by Brandon
Ethier and
Brent Andriash. What
added to their bad luck was the fact that Leamington
managed to beat the Legionnaires in overtime in a
game played in Sarnia. Then on Sunday night the gap
for the Predators increased to 9 points when the
Flyers earned another point by forcing their game
with the Stars to go to shoot out. The Stars
eventually won 5 – 4.
With the International Silver Stick Finals for Atom
and Bantam being held this weekend at the Shores
Recreation Centre the next home game for the
Predators will be Tuesday January 26th at
8:15 PM. That night Lambton Shores hosts the
Strathroy Rockets. Local fans have the opportunity
to cheer on their team this Thursday in Sarnia. The
Predators take on the Legionaires at the Sarnia
arena. The puck drops at 7:30PM.
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