Sarnia Legionnaires Coach Jeff Perry took his veterans to task last week after the club was humiliated 8-1 by the St. Thomas Stars. They responded Wednesday with a huge road win over the LaSalle Vipers.

In fact, the Legionnaires scored three second period goals on their way to a 5-3 win over the home team.

"Itcomes down to paying attention to detail,” Perry said afterward. “We were strong along the wall and we back-checked hard.” He added when the team plays that way, it can compete with the best clubs in the league.

Down to just 14 skaters in the third period, the defending Western Jr. 'B' champions held on to get the win in front of more than 700 shocked Vipers fans.

Goalie Kyle Washer had a good game, kicking out 15 of the16 shots he faced in the third frame. “Washer was solid in net but in the first two periods we took the play to them,” Perry said.

Sarnia held a 30-18 edge in shots after 40 minutes, but ended up being outshot 16-1 in the third. For the game as a whole, LaSalle put 34 pucks on net to 31 for the Legionnaires.

Washer now has seven wins on the season.

The victory gives the Legionnaires a 15-17-5 record and vaults them back into sixth place in the Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, one point ahead of the idle St. Thomas Stars.

Sarnia started the game without forwards Joel Steeves (who had schooling commitments) and Jake Unsworth, who was serving the second of a four-game suspension. And they lost three players to game misconducts as the sometimes chippy contest progressed. Tanner Tomlinson was tossed for abuse of officials, Owen Rogers got an early shower for checking from behind and Brent Sauve was ejected for fighting).

Chase Clark paced the Sarnia attack with two goals, bringing his total for the season up to 12. Single markers went to Jesse Drydak with his team-leading 23^rd, Anton Zupancic with his first and Tomlinson with his seventh.

Zupancic, who got the game winner, came off the point and drilled home a shot from close range that beat the goalkeeper on the blocker side.

Trailing 1-0 early in the first period, the Legionnaires stormed back to score five of the next six goals.

It doesn't get any easier for the Legionnaires, who are home tonight to face the powerful St. Marys Lincolns.

St. Marys is in second place, with a 24-8-3 record. Against the Legionnaires, their record is 3-1, with their only loss coming last Oct. 8 when they dropped a 3-2 decision in the Sarnia Arena.

They are led by centre Seth Griffith, who has 33 goals. Former Legionnaire Josh Cornelissen is the top scoring Lincs defenceman with three goals and 24 assists.

• Jeff Paulley and Drydak had two assists apiece, while single helpers went to Tommy Ziolkowski, Josh Teschke, Tanner Ferguson, Zupancic and Rogers.

• The Legionnaires won both games in LaSalle this year. They will not be back to the Essex County community unless the two clubs meet in the playoffs.

• Sarnia killed off a pair of five-on-three penalties.

• Drydak was first star, Clark second and LaSalle's Eric Noel third.