Veterans step up for Legionnaires
TUESDAY MARCH 8, 2016
COMMUNITY NEWS
By Dan McCaffery
After watching his youngsters do
all the team's scoring in the
first three games of the
playoffs, Sarnia Legionnaires
head coach Mark Davis challenged
his veterans to step up to the
plate Tuesday.
And they did just that, scoring
five times to lead the local Jr.
'B' hockey club to a dramatic
8-5 win over the LaSalle Vipers.
The triumph, which came before
more than 1,000 fans at the
Brock Street barn, knotted the
best-of-seven quarterfinal
series at two games apiece.
Game Five goes Wednesday, March
9 in LaSalle. The sixth contest
will be back in Sarnia this
coming Saturday.
"I called them out, Davis said
of his older players. I said,
'tonight you guys have got to be
our best and they became the
best.
Ryan Vendramin,
who notched three goals for the
Legion crew, said, All our
goals (prior to Tuesday) were by
17-year-olds. We knew we (the
veterans) had to step up. He
(Davis) came into the room and
told us to get going.
Other vets to
find the back of the net
included Brandon Layman, who
scored a pretty shorthanded
tally on a breakaway, and Ryan
Trottier, who drilled home a
shot from the slot. Layman also
had three assists.
The team's veterans may have
been on fire, but the rookies
weren't totally silent either.
Brendan Shagena, Alec DeKoning
and Joey Zappa were among
first-year players to light up
the lamp. Zappa also had a pair
of assists.
Game notes:
-
LaSalle
scored three goals with
extra attackers on the ice,
including a pair when they
enjoyed six-on-three
manpower advantages.
-
Sarnia was
2-for-6 with the power-play
while the Vipers were
4-for-7.
-
The teams
were locked in a scoreless
tie at the end of the first
period and Sarnia led 3-1
after 40 minutes.
-
Goalie Shayne
Battler was credited with
the win, while Paolo
Battisti took the loss.
-
The
Legionnaires were without
defenceman Sam McCormack and
forward Jarret Marks, both
of whom were serving the
first of two-game
suspensions. Their places in
the lineup were admirably
filled by Nash Nienhuis and
Zack Vanderwal.
