The shorthanded Sarnia Legionnaires picked up a gusty road win last night.

Coach Jeff Perry's defending Western Jr. 'B' hockey champions marched into St. Thomas with a depleted lineup and came away with a convincing 6-2 victory.

Captain Tyler Cicchini was sidelined with an injury that will keep him out of action until next week, forward Chase Clark was sick and super pest Owen Rogers was serving the first of a two-game suspension. With that trio absent, Sarnia was forced to play without three of its top four scorers. And because the Mooretown Flags Jr. 'C' club was playing last night, reinforcements were not forthcoming from that source. As a result, Perry was forced to go with just 14 skaters, including only eight forwards.

“We were more disciplined tonight,” than was the case on Thursday when the Legionnaires lost a penalty-filled contest to LaSalle, Perry said afterward.

He added, “It gives us a four-point lead over St. Thomas with four games to go.”

In fact, Sarnia now has a 20-20-6 record and 46 points, good enough for sixth place in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Stars are in seventh spot with 42 points.

Tanner Tomlinson, just back from a four-game suspension, scored twice for the winners, as did Jesse Drydak. Single markers were collected by Shawn Waldie and defenceman Jeff Paulley.

• Drydak now has a team-leading 31 goals on the season. That gives him two more than Matt Abercrombie scored when he was the top Legionnaire marksman last season.

• Tomlinson now has a dozen goals to his credit, while Waldie has nine and Paulley two.

• The Legionnaires return to action next Thursday when they host the Chatham Maroons. Game time at the Sarnia Arena is 7:30 p.m.

• Perry said Cicchini, who was hurt in Thursday's game with LaSalle, should be back in the lineup next week.