Lambton Jr. Sting Major Atom AAA Currently Playing Over .500
wednesday january 14, 2014
The Lambton Jr. Sting Major Atom AAA team is winding down their 2013 – 2014 regular season. After starting the season with a dismal 10 straight losses (0 – 10 – 0), the team has fought through some adversity and are now playing over .500 hockey, going 17 – 16 – 1. Heading into the playoffs, this sophomore team will be a force to be recon with.
In recent play, Lambton hosted their arch nemesis from down the 402 and the West Division leaders, the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs. Even though Lambton played more than half the game shorthanded, they were able to outscore their opponents from Komoka 5 – 1.
Winger Andrew Lemieux would get the Jr. Sting on the board with his 18th goal of the season on his very first shift of the game when he backhanded a Wesley Brooks shot from the point past the Chiefs’ netminder. Defenseman Jake MacLean would follow that up with his 7th of the season midway through the first after a Ryder Nienhuis faceoff win on the power play. Lambton would go up 3 – 0 just one minute into the second period of play when Nienhuis broke in all alone on the Elgin goaltender shorthanded and snuck the puck in 5 hole for his 16th of the season.
The Chiefs would cut the lead to 3 – 1 just 1:45 later when they capitalized on one of the many power play opportunities. However, the ever resilient Jr. Sting would restore their 3 goal lead when centre Nate Highfield scored his 14th of the season from Owen Peters on the powerplay. Winger Bradyn Santavy would put the final nail in the coffin when he scored Lambton’s 3rd power play goal of the game at 9:32 of the third period from line mate Carson Peer.
The Jr. Sting’s goaltending duo of Kaden Gray and Blake Foster were stellar between the pipes, turning aside 25 of the 26 shots they face. Despite receiving 22 minutes in penalties, Lambton was 10 / 11 penalty killing, while going 3 for 5 on the powerplay.
With just 2 regular season games remaining, Lambton is taking the weekend off from league play to participate in the 45th Annual Sarnia Silver Stick tournament. The Major Atoms open the tournament Friday morning at 8am versus the Whitby Wildcats, followed by a 4:15pm puck drop against the Ajax-Pickering Raiders. Lambton continues the tournament on Saturday at 7am taking on Belle Tire (North) from the Detroit area and the New Jersey Colonials at 2pm. The tournament’s quarter-finals are set for 8:30pm on Saturday evening and the semi-finals (10:30am) and finals (3:30pm) are scheduled from Sunday.
