Legionnaires Get Even with Vipers
SATURDAY MARCH 5, 2016
COMMUNITY NEWS
By Dan McCaffery
file photo
Alec
DeKoning's four-point
performance lifted the Sarnia
Legionnaires to a crucial 4-3
win over the LaSalle Vipers in
Jr. 'B' hockey playoff action
Saturday.
The victory -- which came before
more than 1,000 roaring fans at
the Brock Street barn -- tied
the best-of-seven quarterfinal
series at one game apiece. Game
three goes today (Sunday, March
5) in LaSalle.
Trailing 3-1 in the third
period, the Legionnaires stormed
back with three unanswered goals
to grab the win.
"It was awesome, we just kept
going and got the 'W'” DeKoning
said. “Getting two goals was a
dream come true.”
The rookie forward opened the
scoring before the contest was
two minutes old, firing home a
rebound from a Jarret Marks
shot. Defenceman Derrick Johnson
also had an assist on the play.
The Sarnians had a number of
glorious chances after that,
including one play in which the
puck rang off the post, but it
was LaSalle that went into the
first intermission with the
lead. Tyler Russell and Brett
Primeau saw to that, scoring
once each.
In the third period, Primeau
scored again to make it 3-1 and
it looked like the Legionnaires
were finished.
But DeKoning broke into the
clear while killing a penalty
and dented the twine from close
range to cut the lead to 3-2. “I
didn't even see it go in, I just
saw everyone going nuts,” he
said.
Not long after that, Marks
scored a power-play goal from
the side of the net to tie the
game. DeKoning and Ryan Trottier
had helpers on the play.
With overtime looming,
defensive-defenceman Derrick
Johnson scored the first goal of
his Jr. 'B' career to win the
game.
Johnson, who was a healthy
scratch in game one, took a pass
from Marks and rifled the puck
home.
"It was my first goal all season
and the timing was great,” he
said. “I just saw Marksey (with
the puck) and I had an opening
through the ice. I was calling
for it hard.”
Joey Zappa also drew an assist
on the goal, which came with
less than four minutes left on
the clock.
In the final two minutes the top
scoring line of Ryan Vendramin,
Brandon Layman and Brock Perry
did a great job of bottling the
Vipers up in their own zone.
Head coach Mark Davis said, “Now
we've got a little confidence.
We know we can play with them.”
The bench boss had high praise
for goalie Shayne Battler, who
kicked out 33 shots. The
Legionnaires had 33 drives on
Vipers goalkeeper Eli Billing.
Game three of the series is
today (Sunday) in LaSalle with
game four back in Sarnia
Tuesday.
