Sarnia Legionnaires
2009 - 2010


By Dan McCaffery

Sarnia Legionnaires

The Sarnia Legionnaires face what may be their toughest tests of the season Saturday when they play the powerhouse Stratford Cullitons at the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League annual showcase tournament.

"They're supposed to be a good team, so it should be a good test,” said Jordan Black, the Legionnaires forward who scored the winning goal in Sarnia's 3-2 win over St. Marys on Thursday. In fact, Stratford leads the league's Midwest Conference.

WHO: Sarnia Legionnaires (5-4-2) vs. Stratford Cullitons (9-2-0).

WHEN: Saturday, 4:50 p.m.

WHERE: St. Catharines:

WHOSE HOT:

Stratford: Kyle Wilhelm has scored 21 points in 11 games, including nine goals and 12 assists.

Sarnia: Jordan Black isn't accustomed to the role of scoring hero. In fact, the 5'10, 175 pounder scored just one goal last winter while patrolling the blueline for the Western Ontario Jr. 'B' hockey champion Legionnaires. But when coach Jeff Perry took over the club this year he moved the Northern Collegiate student up to one of the forward lines. And Black took advantage of his new position Thursday, firing home his first of the year to give the Legionnaires a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 win over the St. Marys Lincolns. “"I went down the side and tried for a shot on net,” Black explained afterward. “I knew Andy Sokol was going to the net and I was hoping to get him a rebound, but it went in low on the catcher side.”

The goal, coming at 11:31 of the third period, stood up as the winner and sent the season-high crowd of 1,306 fans home happy.

"It was nice (to get a game winner),” Black said. “Our line has been working really hard.”

SPECIAL TEAMS: Stratford has a powerplay that clicks 27.4 per cent of the time and a penty killing unit that gets the job done 92 per cent of the time. Sarnia's powerplay is functioning at an 18.2 per cent rate, while PK is working 80.9 per cent of the time.

BEST BET: Sarnia's best bet for a win may by the play of goalie Kyle Washer, who was named the first star of Thursday's game