SAULT STE. MARIE – If there’s one thing the Sarnia Sting would like from Santa Claus this Christmas would be more goals.
For the fourth consecutive game the Sting managed just two goals and it resulted in a 4-2 loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Sunday night before 4,405 fans at the Essar Centre.

But what makes this loss hard to swallow was the fact Sarnia had a 2-1 lead with under six minutes to play before the Greyhounds rallied to tie the game and score the game-winner with 46.1 seconds left in regulation time.
All six goals scored in the game came in the third period.

“If you would have said before the game it would 0-0 after two periods and then we would have a lead with just over five minutes left, we sure would have taken that,” said Sting head coach Dave MacQueen.

“All we needed was to play 20 solid minutes of hockey, but we made three mental mistakes. On their first goal we blasted a shot into their shin pads resulting in a two-on-one. On their second goal we had the puck behind our net and gave it away while on the third goal we had the puck in the corner and couldn’t move it.”

He added, “I feel bad for Ace (Adam Courchaine). He held us in there and gave us a chance to win, but we couldn’t finish.”
When asked about his team’s lack of scoring, MacQueen said, “how many chances did we have again tonight.? I think Ben O’Quinn had four or five quality chances on his own. Right now we are wearing out the logo on the opposition goalies. That’s why we have to play sound defensively to win those close games. You can’t make the mistakes we made in the third period.”

Each team had eight shots on goal in a scoreless first period.

The Greyhounds enjoyed a 15-9 edge in shots on goal in the second stanza and despite no goals being scored; Sault Ste. Marie had the better scoring chances.

Defenceman Michael Quesnele rang a slapshot off the goalpost early in the period while the Greyhounds enjoyed a two-man advantage for a minute and a half late in the period forcing Courchaine to make a number of fine saves.

The goose eggs on the scoreboard ended at 4:40 of period three when Brett Thompson of the Greyhounds beat Courchaine from close range finishing off a two-on-one break. Thompson created the two-on-one while blocking a shot at his own blueline. The goal was also shorthanded making it the ninth shorthanded goal the Sting has allowed this season and second in as many games.

Courchaine had gone 104 minutes and 40 seconds against the Greyhounds of not giving up a goal.
A minute or so after the goal Kale Kerbashian of the Sting was in alone, but his low shot form close range was stopped by Greyhounds netminder Bryce O’Hagan.

But Kerbashian finally got the Sting on the scoreboard at 11:28. O’Hagan was behind the net attempting to move the puck. But his pass was intercepted by Ben O’Quinn, who fed the puck in front of the net where Kerbashian was staring at a wide open net.

Kerbashian’s goal was his 10th of the year, becoming the first Sting player to reach double digits in goals.
 The goal appeared to give the Sting some renewed energy and they took their first lead at 14:08 when J.C. Campagna banged home a centered pass from Jesse Stoughton. It was Campagna’s fourth of the year.
However that lead lasted just 37 seconds when Nick Cousins of the Greyhounds knocked in a loose puck in front of the Sting net during a scramble.

The Greyhounds scored the winning goal with 46.1 seconds remaining. Jacob Muzzin’s shot from the left point went off the stick of Kerbashian and past a surprised Courchaine.

Thompson added an empty net goal with 8.4 seconds remaining.

The Greyhounds held a 41-26 edge in shots on goal. Both teams were zero-for-six with the man advantage.

Sarnia now has three games remaining prior to the Christmas break. They will host the Kitchener Rangers on Thursday night, play at Mississauga Friday night and are back home to face the Brampton Battalion Saturday night. Both home games at the RBC Centre begin at 7:35 p.m.

- Thomson was first star with Courchaine second star and Cousins thrd star.
- Sarnia has now lost two in a row to see their overall record dip to 13-19-1-1. They are 6-11-0-1 on the road.
- Sarnia dressed 19 players, one under the limit. Out with injuries are Miroslav Preisinger (hand), Daniel Broussard (shoulder) and Craig Hottot (jaw). Rookie Brandon Francisco played with a full facemask after suffering a cut on the chin against Erie on Saturday night.
- Last night’s game was the 34th of the season for the Sting as they have reached the midway point of the regular season.
- The Greyhounds hold a 3-1 edge on the Sting this season. The teams still play four more times.
- The Windsor Spitfires had a 21-game winning streak snapped Sunday afternoon when they host 5-2 at home to Kitchener. Their last loss was Oct. 11 against Sarnia. Windsor played minus four regulars who are at the world junior tryouts. They included Adam Henrique, Taylor Hall, Greg Nemisz and Ryan Ellis.