By Dan McCaffery
The veterans led the way
Thursday as the Sarnia
Legionnaires upended the St.
Thomas Stars 6-4 in Game One
of their Western Jr. 'B'
hockey playoff series.
Captain Nathan Mater played
an especially strong game,
scoring the winning goal and
tossing his body around with
reckless abandon all night.
Davis Boyer was also solid,
notching a nifty third
period tally to give Sarnia
a three-goal bulge.
Boyer grabbed the puck in
the faceoff circle and fired
a sharp-angle shot under the
crossbar to make the score
6-3.
Other Sarnia goals went to
Ryan Trottier, Cody Trowell,
Riley Babkirk and Tyler
Prong.
It was a chippy affair at
times, with Sarnia's Jay
Clarke being ejected for
checking from behind and
Legionnaire defenceman
Connor Andersen leaving the
game with a third period
injury.
"It was a good first game,”
winning head coach Dan Rose
said. “We controlled the
first period, the second
period was back-and-forth
and we controlled the
third.”
Mater, who looked like a man
on a mission all night, got
the winner early in the
final frame. He raced over
the St. Thomas blueline,
barged around a defender and
went in alone to score from
close range.
St. Thomas goals came off
the sticks of Adam Truax,
Matt Simsons, James Newland
and Carson Brookshaw.
Sarnia goalie Andrew Masters
made 25 saves to get the
win, while Stars netminder
Nik Damphier suffered the
loss, despite making 34
saves.
Game Two goes Friday in St.
Thomas, with the third
contest set for Sunday at
Sarnia Arena.
Game time is set for 7:10
p.m.
