A near-sellout crowd saw the Sarnia Legionnaires lose a frustrating game at the Brock Street Barn last night.

Coach Jeff Perry's defending Western Jr. 'B' champions were defeated 4-1 by a very skilled Strathroy Rockets team before a gathering of 2,237 fans. It was the last chance for season ticket holders to hand in unused flex pass tickets and hundreds showed up to do so.

Nevertheless, it was by far the largest crowd of the season and it pushed Sarnia's attendance over the 30,000 mark for the second consecutive year.

The crowd was also a telling answer to the largely-illiterate, anonymous critics who have been claiming on Internet web sites that Legionnaire attendance figures are exaggerated. The old rink was packed and there were too many witnesses to that fact for that tired lie to be given any kind of credence. The previous high crowd for the season came on Jan. 30 when 1,713 fans witnessed a Sarnia/St. Thomas clash.

Unfortunately, the Legionnaires didn't give their fans much to cheer about. Strathroy jumped into a 3-0 lead by the mid-point of the first period and coasted to victory after that.

Shawn Waldie got Sarnia back into the game at the 58 second mark of the third period when he jumped on a fat rebound and fired home a shot from the face-off circle. For Waldie, it was his 10^th goal of the campaign. Jesse Drydak picked up his 30^th assist on the play, while Tanner Tomlinson notched his 18^th helper.

Moments later, Drydak just missed getting Sarnia's second goal. And not long after that captain Tyler Cicchini shot wide on a glorious opportunity.

After that, the Rockets lit up the lamp for the fourth time, removing any drama from the proceedings.

With the loss Sarnia remains tied with the St. Thomas Stars for sixth place in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Both clubs have one game left in the regular schedule. The Legionnaires are in Forest Saturday to play the last place Lambton Shores Predators, while the Stars host the first-place London Nationals Sunday night.

• Former Legionnaire Derek Nap had a goal and was named first star. Sarnia's Tanner Tomlinson was second star and Rockets goalie Blair Bennett third.

• Sanria out-shot Strathroy 33-29. Kyle Washer took the loss in net.

• The Legionnaires were missing Owen Rogers, Chase Clark and Jordan Leyser to suspensions and Jake Unsworth to injury. As a result, the club went with just 14 skaters.

• If Sarnia can't secure sixth place on the weekend, it will end up playing the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Otherwise, it will play either Chatham or St. Marys.