STRATHROY – In
what may have
been a preview
of the first
round of the
upcoming Greater
Ontario Junior
Hockey League
playoffs, the
Sarnia
Legionnaires and
the Strathroy
Rockets played a
wild contest
here Saturday.
The home team
won 3-1 in a
roughhouse
affair that was
close until the
last 10 seconds.
Officially, the
Rockets were
credited with
outshooting the
visitors 63-20
but the play
appeared to be
far closer than
that.
"There's
certainly a
rivalry there,”
Sarnia coach
Jeff Perry said
after watching
the officials
hand out 32
penalties,
including five
game
misconducts.
“It's a
possibility it
could be a first
round matchup.”
Sarnia spent
much of the
third period
killing off one
penalty after
another. In all,
the Legionnaires
received 53
minutes in the
sin bin compared
to just 25 for
the Rockets.
The most trouble
came with about
seven minutes
left in the
third period,
when two fights
broke out on the
same stoppage.
Tanner Tomlinson
and Andy Sokol
were both given
the boot along
with a pair of
Rockets.
Earlier,
Legionnaire
super pest Owen
Rogers was
thrown out for
leveling a
Strathroy player
with a cross
check.
Frustrated by
the fact that
they were
getting twice as
many calls
against them as
the home team,
the Sarnians
appeared to lose
their composure
late in the
game. In fact,
Tanner Garrick
and Jeff Paulley
were both given
10-minute
misconducts for
abuse of
officials.
Strathroy was
ahead only 2-1
when most of the
trouble started
and the winners
didn't get the
final goal until
they fired home
a powerplay
marker with just
10 seconds left
on the clock.
The Legionnaires
are back in
action next
Wednesday when
they face the
first-place
London Nationals
in the Forest
City. Perry said
the club will be
shorthanded,
with Tomlinson,
Sokol and Rogers
all facing
suspensions.
Still, he noted
the Nats are on
a four-game
losing steak.
“London is a
great hockey
club but they're
in a bit of a
rut. It's a
thing they
haven't had all
year. Hopefully,
we can catch
them while
they're still in
it.
-
Tyler
Cicchini
scored
Sarnia's
lone goal
during a
goal mouth
scramble,
giving him
16 on the
season, or
one more
than he got
last year
during the
regular
schedule.
Defenceman
Tommy
Ziolkowski
got the lone
assist on
what was a
powerplay
marker.
-
The
Legionnaires
trailed only
2-1 until
the Rockets
scored a
powerplay
goal with 10
seconds
left.
-
Jesse
Raymond had
an
outstanding
game in net
for Sarnia.
