Whatever the
Sarnia Sting
coaching
staff to
light fire
under
overager
Kale
Kerbashian
this week is
working just
fine.
Kerbashian
scored his
first career
hat trick
and added an
assist in
leading the
Sting to a
6-3 win over
the Brampton
Battalion,
Saturday
night before
2,369 fans
at the RBC
Centre.
The win
improved
Sarnia’s
record to
5-7-2-0 in
the Ontario
Hockey
League.
Kerbashian
also had a
goal and two
assists in
Wednesday’s
overtime
loss to
Saginaw and
now has nine
goals and 15
assists for
24 points on
the season.
“I never
thought
about the
seven points
in two games
until you
just
mentioned it
to me,” said
Kerbashian
after the
game. “That
is my first
career hat
trick and it
feels nice.”
The hat
trick was a
natural one
as he scored
two goals
late in the
second
period and
added one
more in the
third. He
was the
game’s first
star.
Kerbashian
says the
coaching
staff has a
lot to do
with his
improved
play.
“I wasn’t
playing that
well of late
and the
coaching
staff has
stressed a
couple of
main things
and that’s
simply to
work hard
and play
defence. Add
to that my
linemates
(Nail
Yakupov and
Tyler
Peters) have
been great.
They set me
up twice
tonight for
those second
period
goals.
Playing with
Nail is a
nice plus as
he makes
some world
class
plays.”
Sting head
coach Dave
MacQueen
says the
coaching
staff has
spent a lot
of time with
Kerbashian.
“We’ve
talked a lot
and told him
to put all
the
distractions
behind him
and be the
player he
can be. He
was good in
Saginaw and
very, very
good again
tonight.
He’s playing
with a lot
of energy,
skating and
moving the
puck. His
linemates
seem to have
found the
chemistry
again after
broke the
trio up a
couple of
weeks ago.”
MacQueen
added, “Kale
has a
renewed
commitment
to our end
of the ice.
He’s finding
out you can
create
offence by
playing well
in your own
end.”
Peters had a
goal and an
assist while
Yakupov had
a pair of
assists. The
threesome
have
combined for
16 points
over their
past two
games.
After
allowing the
game’s
opening
goal, Sarnia
stormed back
to take a
3-1 lead
after the
first period
and added
two more in
the second
to take a
commanding
5-1
advantage
after 40
minutes.
“Obviously I
really liked
our first 40
minutes
tonight,”
said
MacQueen. “I
thought we
responded
well after
they scored
first. We
made some
nice plays,
especially
in the
second
period with
some give
and gos. Our
power play
got us a big
goal and our
penalty
killing was
very good.”
He added, “I
wasn’t
overly happy
with our
third
period. We
sat back too
much. But
that’s the
process with
a young
team. You
can’t play
high risk in
the third
period and
get away
with it. You
develop bad
habits.”
Brett
Ritchie and
J.C.
Campagna
with his
first goal
of the
season
scored the
other Sting
goals.
Anthony
Donati
chipped in
with a pair
of assists.
Former Sting
Michael
Santini
scored his
eighth goal
of the year
for Brampton
while
Jonathan
Johansson
and Craig
Moore also
found the
back of the
net.
Rookie
Brandon Hope
got his
second
straight
start in
goal for the
Sting, (the
first time
that’s
happened
this year),
and he
provided a
solid effort
making 22
saves.
A key part
of the game
came midway
through
period two
when
Brampton was
awarded a
penalty
shot. The
score was
3-1 at the
time. But
Hope looked
calm and
cool as he
stopped the
shot by
Brampton’s
Marcus
McIvor.
“I wasn’t
nervous,”
said Hope,
when asked
about the
penalty
shot. “I
just took it
as another
shot. We do
it a lot of
practice. I
try and
force the
shooter to
shoot the
puck. I came
out of my
crease, cut
down the
angles and
tried not to
give him
much to
shoot at. We
were able to
feed off the
shot and got
a couple of
big goals to
go up 5-1.”
Hope added,
“This is my
first
back-to-back
starts of
the year. I
felt
mentally
prepared and
the coaching
staff has
shown a lot
of
confidence
in me. I
thought we
didn’t have
any selfish
play tonight
and the
defence had
my back a
lot.”
MacQueen
felt Hope
deserved the
start.
“He played
well again.
He made the
saves when
he had to
and stopping
that penalty
shot was
key. A
two-goal
lead is the
worst lead
in hockey.
He made the
save and
then we were
able to get
a couple
after that
to give us a
cushion.”
Hope is now
2-3-1 in six
games.
The Sting is
right back
into action
Sunday
afternoon
when they
host the
Sault Ste.
Marie
Greyhounds
beginning at
2:05 p.m.
(All kids 12
and under
will be
admitted for
just $5).
- Kerbashian
was first
star with
Donati
second star
and Brent
Sullivan
third star.
- Sarnia was
minus three
defencemen
in Nathan
Chiarlitti,
Ron Soucie
and Kyle
Flemington.
Josh
Chapman, the
team’s
fourth-round
pick this
year, was
called up
from the
Sarnia
Legionnaires
Junior B
team and saw
plenty of
ice.
- The Sting
improved to
4-3-0-0 on
home ice
while
Brampton
lost for
only the
second time
in six road
games.
- There will
be prizes
for the best
Halloween
costumes
worn to
Sunday’s
game.
- Sarnia was
one-for-seven
on the power
play and
Brampton
zero-for-four.
- Plymouth
scored in
the final
minute to
defeat Sault
Ste. Marie
5-4 Saturday
night.