CHATHAM
–
The
Sarnia
Legionnaires
ran
into
a
hot
goalie
–
and
penalty
trouble
– in
Chatham
last
night.
Coach
Jeff
Perry's
Greater
Ontario
Junior
Hockey
League
team
was
defeated
4-1
by
the
powerhouse
Chatham
Maroons.
Maroons
netminder
Mike
Ostropolec
made
22
saves,
a
number
of
them
of
the
difficult
variety,
to
earn
third
star
honours.
At
the
other
end
of
the
rink,
Legionnaire
goalkeeper
Kyle
Washer
kicked
out
40
shots
in
taking
the
loss.
The
visitors
got
off
to a
slow
start,
managing
only
three
shots
on
net
during
the
opening
20
minutes
of
play.
Their
only
goal
came
in
the
second
frame,
when
diminutive
forward
Shawn
Waldie
scored
his
sixth
of
the
season
to
spoil
Ostropolec's
shutout
bid.
Waldie
now
has
20
points
in
20
games
since
joining
the
defending
Western
Jr.
'B'
champions
13
games
into
the
campaign.
Assists
went
to
Chase
Clark
(his
19th
helper
of
the
year)
and
Jesse
Drydak
(his
12th).
The
teams
were
fairly
even
five-on-five
but
Chatham
scored
three
powerplay
goals
on
nine
opportunities,
while
the
Legionnaires
managed
just
one
on
seven
chances
with
the
extra
man.
It
was
a
rough
game
at
times,
with
Sarnia's
Andy
Sokol
being
ejected
for
checking
from
behind.
Rugged
Legionnaire
rearguard
Kyle
Flemington,
who
was
back
from
a
four-game
stint
with
the
Saginaw
Spirt
of
the
OHL,
was
tagged
with
a
minor
and
a
10-minute
misconduct
for
a
head
check.
-
Sarnia is proving to be a big draw on the road, with 1,103 Chatham fans turning out for the contest. That was about 300 fans more than the Maroons typically draw.
-
The Legionnaires, who are now 14-15-5 on the season, are in Strathroy Tuesday to face the Rockets. After that, they break for Christmas, returning to action Thursday, Jan. 7 when they host the St. Thomas Stars.
-
Chatham is in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 22-9-1. Two of their losses have come at the hands of the Legionnaires.
