GUELPH –
As the
Sarnia
Sting
season
winds
down,
players
are
attempting
to show
the
coaching
staff
why they
should
have a
spot on
next
year’s
roster.
One such
player
is
forward
Tyler
Peters,
who
despite
being 19
years-old,
is a
rookie
in the
Ontario
Hockey
League
this
year.
Peters
can only
return
to the
team
next
year as
one of
three
overagers.
The
feisty
forward
had two
goals
and one
assist
as the
Sting
dropped
a 6-3
decision
to the
Guelph
Storm,
Friday
night
before
4,553
fans at
the
Sleeman
Centre.
Peters
has been
on fire
over the
past
month
with the
Sting
and now
has 16
goals
and 17
assists
for 33
points,
second
only to
team
scoring
leader
Kale
Kerbashian
who has
24 goals
and 27
assists
for 51
points.
“We
thought
he could
score
and
that’s
one of
the
reasons
he made
the
team,”
said
Sting
head
coach
Dave
MacQueen.
“He’s
had a
hot
three or
four
weeks.
He’s got
a good
release
with a
great
shot.
He’s
just
going
out and
playing
and
things
are
finally
falling
into
place.”
Aside
from
that,
MacQueen
was not
happy
with his
team’s
performance.
“We try
and put
together
a game
plan
before
the
game. We
went
over it
three
times on
the
board
and
asked if
there
were any
questions
and if
they got
it. Then
they go
out and
didn’t
do what
the game
plan
was.
“I don’t
know if
they
weren’t
paying
attention
or what,
but it’s
inexcusable
after 64
games.
When I
asked
them
about
it, I
got the
excuse
they
didn’t
remember.”
MacQueen
added,
“it’s
easy for
everyone
to
criticize
Soupie
(Shayne
Campbell).
But he
must sit
back in
net and
watch
our
forwards
and
defence
make
mistakes
that
lead to
goals.
Everybody
wants to
blame
everyone
else.
Maybe
they
should
be
looking
at
themselves
in the
mirror.”
The
Sting
dug
themselves
a deep
hole
falling
behind
3-0
before
the game
was only
12
minutes
old. The
Storm
scored
on their
first
shot
just 37
seconds
after
the puck
was
dropped.
Sarnia
got one
goal
back in
the
opening
period
as
Peters
took a
rebound
off the
backboards
and had
an open
corner
of the
net.
Peters
pulled
the
Sting to
within a
goal
with his
second
of the
game at
16th of
his
rookie
season
11
minutes
into
period
two when
he took
a
cross-ice
pass
from
Brett
Ritchie
and
ripped a
quick
shot
past the
goalie.
But the
Storm
finally
cashed
in on
their
fourth
power
play
chance
of the
period
at 17:53
and
scored
their
fifth
goal 46
seconds
later to
take a
commanding
5-2 lead
after 40
minutes.
With the
score
6-2,
rookie
call-up
Braden
Kavaratzis
scored
Sarnia’s
third
goal,
his
second
of the
year
knocking
in a
rebound.
Peters
assisted
on the
goal.
Kavaratzis
had
another
glorious
scoring
chance a
few
minutes
later,
but his
slapshot
from the
slot
went
wide.
Rookie
Brandon
Francisco
had a
pair of
assists
for the
Sting
giving
him 29
points
on the
season.
Taylor
Beck and
Peter
Holland
led the
Storm
with two
goals
each
while
Matthew
Sisca
and Cody
McNaughton
added
singles.
Guelph
held a
38-21
edge in
shots on
goal.
Sarnia
had just
four
shots in
the
second
period.
Brendan
Foote
was the
winning
goalie
while
Campbell
took the
loss.
The
Sting
will
play
their
third
game in
as many
days
tonight
when
they
host the
London
Knights
at 7:35
p.m. at
the RBC
Centre.
Next
week the
Sting
will
play
their
final
three
games of
the
season.
Sarnia
is in
London
on
Wednesday,
host
Guelph
on
Thursday
and play
their
final
game
next
Saturday
when
they are
home to
the
Windsor
Spitfires.
Both
home
games
begin at
7:35
p.m.
- Sarnia
played
two
players
under
the
limit of
20, the
same
lineup
as
Thursday
night
against
Sault
Ste.
Marie.
Miroslav
Preisinger
served
the
second
of a two
game
suspension,
top
scorer
Kale
Kerbashian
is home
in
Thunder
Bay
attending
the
death of
his
grandmother
while
Ben
O’Quinn,
Anthony
Donati
and
Brent
Sullivan
are all
injured.
- Guelph
was
two-for-six
on the
power
play
while
Sarnia
was
one-four
four.
- Sarnia
is 0-3
vs
Guelph
this
season.
- Three
ex-Sting
players were
traded at
the National
Hockey
League trade
deadline
earlier this
week. Andy
Delmore went
from Detroit
to Calgary;
Kris Newbury
went to New
York Rangers
from Detroit
while
Harrison
Reed was
dealt to
Colorado
from
Carolina.
All three
play in the
American
Hockey
League.
- The OHL
Performers
of the Month
for February
were
announced
Friday.
Performer of
the month
was Greg
McKegg of
Erie who had
11 goals and
10 assists
in 12 games.
Rookie of
the month
was Matt
Puempel of
Peterborough
with seven
goals and
six assists
in 11 games.
Defenceman
of the month
was Ryan
Ellis of
Windsor with
three goals
and 16
assists in
11 games.
Goalie of
the month
was Patrick
Killeen of
Brampton who
had a 1.84
goals
against
average with
a .928 save
percentage
and three
shutouts.