January 21, 2008
Sarnia vs North London

Opening face off, won by Dean MacEachern, and carried into the Nationals end for three good chances on goal followed by a Nicholas VanBilsen shot off the goalie’s mask. The rebound grabbed by VanBilsen and the wrap around try smothered by the keeper for the stop in play.  Second shift saw James Pavey stickhandle through the slot and snap a low shot just inside the right post for a one nothing lead. Curtis Lindsay on a breakaway fired the shot high and hard over the bar and off the end glass caromed right out front for Tyler Groulx with another try!  Pretty pass behind the back Marcus Dusseault to Pavey in the slot to set up another scoring opportunity. London Nationals captain # 16 carried over the blue line and drove a shot handled easily in the classic butterfly style and held for the whistle by Scott Gray. Only forty seconds left in the first frame when VanBilsen was escorted to the penalty door, tripping the official call, Sarnia to the penalty kill to finish the first and commence the second period.

VanBilsen’s name etched on the game sheet again, this time interference the infraction and he headed back to his chair for another two minutes. London Nationals best chance with the man advantage came as big #4 cruised over the blueline and fired a low hard slapshot, snagged by the glove of Gray. Kevin Dann angled his man off into the corner and squeezed out on the boards, the puck continued in behind the icing line and Dann called for holding on the play. Power play goal for the Nat’s followed as #4 blasted a slap shot from the slot. Pad down leg save by Gray but the rebound scooped up and shovelled home by #14 at the halfway mark of the period. Nat’s #14 from behind the net to #17 alone in the slot, a blast and a point blank shot stopped with an enormous save by Gray.  Power play chance for the Sting; point shot from Dann, tipped just wide of the post. Close call as the Nationals cleared the puck from their zone to finish the power play as #8 exited the penalty box, picked up the biscuit and roared in on a break away. Hard shot stopped by Gray another great save with no rebound to be found, to hold the score tied at one each.

Early action in the third, a zone clearing diagonal pass from Christian Kerrigan, the right defenceman to spring VanBilsen down the left wing. Over the blueline and the hard wrist shot slowed but not completely stopped as the momentum of the blast carried the puck across the line to put the Sting in the lead 2-1.  Slap shot from the point off the stick of Calvin Hughson into the feet of Dusseault in the slot. Pavey picked the puck out of the scrum the wrist shot blinked the red light behind the London goalie to put the Sting in control 3-1. Groulx to Lindsay, who seemed to have an extra gear this entire contest, the pass in his feet at the blueline. Eric Cunningham scooped the puck up, carried into the zone, drifted to the left. A sweet pass across to Groulx and redirected just wide.  Scotty Ferguson gathered the puck in the Sarnia end and cruised out of the zone, through the centre ice area, continued in over the blueline, split the Dee and finished the coast to coast trip with a shot on goal!  London back on the power play, MacEachern to the bin for interference, and another huge save for Gray in the Sting cage. #4 from behind the net centred to #10 and point blank shot taken off the left pad and the rebound directed into the corner!  London clearing attempt stopped by Leeam Ridley at the line and forwarded to a wide open MacEachern for the shot. Save by the London keeper, the rebound to Ridley and into the back of the net to up the tally to 4-1. London’s next offensive chance was halted as Konnor Harris timed the hip check to pin #14 against the boards to free the puck and clear it out of harm’s way.

The team’s traded roughing penalties before the buzzer to put this on in the history books as a 4-1 win for Sarnia.