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Legionnaires Nip Stars

saturday october 26, 2013

BY DAN MCCAFFREY

Ryan Vendramin and Cody Trowell each had three-point games Friday to lead the Sarnia Legionnaires to a 5-3 triumph over the St. Thomas Stars.

It was only the second road win of the campaign for the Legion crew, but it evened their overall won-lost record at 8-8.

St. Thomas opened the scoring early in the first period with Alex Morgan blinking the red light.

But Vendramin squared matters late in the frame, backhanding in a passout from behind the net from Trowell.

In the middle period, with St. Thomas ahead 2-1, Vendramin struck again, finishing off a nifty two-on-one break with Trowell. Jay Clarke, who was a sparkplug for Sarnia all night long, also drew an assist.

File Photo - Ryan Lyle

Shortly after that, Ryan Lyle, a 16-year-old called up from the Jr. 'C' Mooretown Flags, gave the Legionnaires the lead for the first time when he charged the net and banged in his own rebound from point blank range. It was his first Jr. 'B' tally and, counting an assist he picked up the night before in a loss to Chatham, the Bright's Grove resident now has two points in two Western Ontario Hockey Conference contests.

Thomas Moxley drew the lone assist on the play.

St. Thomas tied the game early in the third period while enjoying a two-man advantage.

But Vendramin blasted in a shot from the faceoff circle not long after that to give the Sarnians a lead they would not surrender. He now has nine goals on the season.

Jay Clarke got his fifth of the campaign with an unassisted empty netter in the last minute of play.

Head coach Dan Rose said, "That was a good road win, we played well tonight. We really moved the puck well. We only had trouble in our own zone a couple of times. We did a lot of good things in every zone."

File Photo Braden Palocz

Rookie goalie Braden Palocz made 37 saves to pick up his third win of the campaign. The Legionnaires had 44 shots on the Stars cage.

Sarnia was playing without captain Davis Boyer, defenceman P.J. Vandervaart, goalie Sean Parker and forward Riley Roberts (all injured) and forward Nathan Mater (sick).

The Legionnaires are home next Thursday to the St. Marys Lincolns.