ERIE, Pa. – The shootout magic ran out for the Sarnia Sting Saturday night.

The Sting lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Erie Otters, Saturday night before 3,198 fans at the Tullio Arena.
Anthony Luciani scored the only goal of the shootout on the Otters wrist shot. He rang a wrist shot off the goalpost and past Sting goalie Adam Courchaine.

Sarnia missed all three of their chances in the shootout. Two shots were stopped by the goalie while one shot went wide.
It was Sarnia’s first shootout loss this season after winning three in a row. It was the second game in a row Sarnia has gone to a shootout.

“You aren’t going to win them all,” said Sting head coach Dave MacQueen, when asked about the shootouts. “I really don’t mind going to shootouts because we know have Ace back there in goal and he is real good with penalty shots. Until tonight our shooters have been pretty good.”

Sarnia did take five out of a possible six points in the Ontario Hockey League playing three games in three nights.
“Man did we battle,” said MacQueen. “I feel bad for our guys and they deserved better. We shut them down five-on-five real good and I don’t think we allowed a shot on goal in the third period until well into the period.

“We did a lot of good things. We competed in all areas. Ace made some good saves to keep us in the game. I’m not disappointed with our effect and our energy level. For our third game in three nights I thought we were the better team.”
He added, “After the stretch we went through over the past couple of weeks and how tough it was on everyone, taking five of six like this is pretty important. But we are a resilient group. Our young players are competing and our veteran leadership is stepping up. I think the fact we play four lines every night allows us to have some energy in stretches of games like this.”
Sarnia was outshot 13-8 and outscored 1-0 in the opening period.

The only goal of period one came on an Erie power play at 14:32 when Zack Torquato deflected home a point shot past Sting goalie Adam Courchaine. It was the first power play goal Sarnia has allowed in three games.

The Sting tied the game just over a minute into period two when Tyler Peters tapped a rebound into an open net after a point drive from Ron Soucie.

Sarnia took their first lead at 10:55 with their third power play goal in as many games. Peters got his second of the night and eighth of the season with a weak wrist shot from the sideboards that dribbled between the legs of Otters goalie Ramis Sadikov.

But Erie tied the game with their second power play goal at 14:39 after the Sting were quilty of too many men on the ice. Derek Holden of the Otters knocked in a loose puck after a scramble around the Sting net.

A scoreless third period saw Sarnia outshoot Erie 17-6 and carried the play, but could not get one of those shots past Sadikov.

Sarnia dominated the five-minute overtime period. Miroslav Preisinger had a great chance to win the game just 15 seconds into extra time, but his high wrist shot from the slot hit the post.

The Sting also enjoyed a power play in overtime, but the Erie netminder stopped all five shots he faced. Erie had just two shots in overtime.

Sarnia finished with a 41-28 edge in shots on goal.

The Sting was one-for-eight with the man advantage while Erie was two-for-six.

The Sting returns home for a pair of games next week. On Thursday the Plymouth Whalers make their first appearance at the RBC Centre. It will be Teddy Bear Toss Night. On Saturday the Otters and Sting have a return engagement. Game time for both home games is 7:35 p.m.

Next Sunday the Sting play at Sault Ste. Marie.


-    Sarnia played without defenseman Daniel Broussard who suffered a broken collarbone in Friday’s win over Niagara and will be out six to eight weeks. He joins forward Craig Hottot on the sidelines as Hottot has been out since early November with a broken jaw.
-    The Sting lost another defencemen when Brett Sullivan did not play the second and third periods with an undisclosed injury. They finished the game with five defencemen as rookie Anthony Donati dressed after sitting out Friday’s game.
-    Sarnia and Erie have split two games so far this year. They play two more times.