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Sarnia, ON
– It came down to the wire, but Nathan Chiarlitti
scored the game tying goal with 24 seconds remaining
to even the Sarnia Sting and Windsor Spitfires at a
4-4 tie.
Sarnia at
one point was down 3-0 after the Spitfires took an
early 2-0 lead in the first period, and added a
powerplay goal in the third. Grant Webermin scored
the first goal for Windsor with a wrist shot that
snuck under the crossbar midway through the first
period. Adam Bateman added the second goal on a
two-on-one, as the Sting couldn't get the constant
pressure on goalie John Cullen throughout the
period.
In the
second, Kerby Rychel made it 3-0, after a rebound
shot from Adrian Robertson came out onto his stick,
and he beat a diving Brandon Maxwell to give Windsor
the three goal cushion.
Sarnia
would finally get on the board, as Ryan Kujawinski
would score his first of the preseason to cut the
lead down to two.
Before the
end of the period, former Sting Zack MacQueen would
draw two back to back penalties, and Sarnia would
make the Spitfires pay. After working the puck
around, Craig Hottot would let a slap shot go from
top of the circle for his 4th of the preseason, as
the Sting cut the lead down to one with a period
left to play.
In the
third, it wouldn't take long for Sarnia to tie the
game, as Windsor went back into the penalty box.
Charlie Sarault would miss the open net, but throw
the puck back out front to Jack Kuzmyk who put it
into the open cage for a 3-3 tie, and the Stings
second powerplay goal.
The tie
would not last long, as Michael Clarke would put
Windsor back in front three minutes later.
Sarnia
would press for the equalizer, missing the net just
wide on multiple occasions. With under a minute to
go, the Sting would call a time out. A faceoff win
would get back to the blue line where Alex Basso
would pass it over the Chiarlitti for the one timer
that would get by a screened Cullen, tying it up
with seconds to go.
Windsor
and Sarnia would skate out the remaining seconds as
the horn sounds in a 4-4 draw.
"I thought
we were just ok," said Head Coach
Jacques
Beaulieu. "I didn't think we played a good structure
game. I thought most of the kids worked hard, got
shots to the net. There were some bright spots, but
still a lot of stuff to work on."
Sarnia
outshot Windsor 34-27, with 13 coming in the third
period to Windsor's 4, as the Sting were brought to
life in the last period. Sarnia had not been down by
three since the first game of preseason against
London, making this a test of the ability for the
Sting to regroup and comeback.
Many of
the Sting's star players were out of the lineup, as
Craig Hottot replaced Reid Boucher on the top line
with Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk, while Boucher
attends the New Jersey Devil's rookie camp. Brett
Ritchie, Taylor Carnevale and Ludvig Rensfeldt
continue at their NHL training camps as well.
Galchenyuk
went off in the first period after catching a rut in
the ice. Early indications is an MCL issue. Beaulieu
noted there was no movement in his knee, but the
Sting will have to wait and see on the injury.
With the
tie, the Sting are 3-1-1 in five preseason games.
Beaulieu was not about expectations coming into the
preseason, but rather about getting the team ready
to play for the upcoming season.
"I think
the kids are ready. Once we get our guys back we can
get it going the right way."
Sarnia
plays Windsor on Saturday in Windsor for the final
preseason game. They open the regular season at home
as the Erie Otters come to Sarnia on Friday,
September 23rd.
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@sarniasports.
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