By Dan McCaffery
The Sarnia
Legionnaires fell
into third place in
the Western Jr. 'B'
hockey standings
Sunday after
dropping a 5-2
decision to the
powerful Leamington
Flyers.
The contest, played
in the Tomato Town,
was closer than the
score indicated. In
fact, the contest
was tied in the
third period and
Leamington's last
goal was into an
empty net.
In any case, Sarnia
is now one point
behind second ranked
Chatham.
The Legionnaires
have nine games left
in the regular
schedule, while
Chatham has 10.
"I thought we played
a good game for 55
or 56 minutes,”
Sarnia head coach
Dan Rose said
afterward. “We
played a good road
game. I was pleased
with the way we
played.”
The Flyers, who are
in first place, went
ahead 2-0 thanks to
goals by Mitch
Amante and Chris
Scott.
But Davis Boyer got
the visitors back
into the match late
in the second
period, firing home
his 27th of the
campaign while
standing to the side
of the net. Assists
went to Ryan
Vendramin and Kyler
Keating.
In the final stanza,
captain Nathan Mater
assisted on Tyler
Prong's third goal
of the season to get
the Legion crew back
on even terms.
Playing without a
stick, Mater made
his way along the
sideboards with the
puck in his skates.
Eluding one checker,
he kicked the rubber
– soccer style – to
Boyer. Boyer, in
turn, passed it back
to Prong, who scored
from the point to
tie the score at
2-2.
A couple of sloppy
plays put the
Legionnaires behind
by two goals, with
Eric Henderson and
Kyle Quick doing the
damage near the
mid-point of the
third period.
In the final minute
of play, with goalie
Andrew Masters on
the bench for a
sixth attacker,
Quick scored into
the empty net to
finish up the
scoring.
Masters took the
loss, despite making
33 saves.
Flyers netminder
Trevor Wheaton made
21 stops for the
win, including a
sensational block
with the scored tied
in the third period.
The Legionnaires
return to action
Thursday when they
host the LaSalle
Vipers.
Game time at the
Brock Street barn is
set for 7:10 p.m.
