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Shawn
Waldie
has made
his
reputation
in
junior
hockey
as a
playmaker.
In fact,
when the
Sarnia
native
scored
43
points
last
season
to lead
the
Lambton
Shores
Predators
in
scoring,
only
nine of
them
were goals.
Fully 34
were
assists.
When the
18-year-old
joined
the
Sarnia
Legionnaires
a few
weeks
ago, he
cemented
his
reputation
as a guy
who can
pass the
puck by
reeling
off
three
assists
in his
first
six
games.
But
Saturday
night
the
diminutive
forward
scored
his
first
two
goals of
the
season
to lead
the
Legion
crew to
a 5-0
spanking
of the
Leamington
Flyers.
And just
to show
he
hadn't
forgotten
about
playmaking,
the
speedy
centre
chipped
in with
an
assist.
The
performance
earned
him
first
star
honours
and gave
the St.
Clair
Secondary
School
student
seven
points
in seven
games
since
being
obtained
by the
Legionnaires. |
More than that, it
gave the surging
Sarnians their third
straight win and
moved them into sole
possession of third
place in the Western
Conference of the
Greater Ontario
Junior Hockey
League.
And things could get
better because
Waldie still isn't
in top condition.
"I'm starting to get
there but I'm not
quite in shape,” the
former Lambton 'AAA'
midget star said
after the game. “I
was off my skates
for a month” after
leaving the
Predators.
He added the change
of scenery has been
good for him. “I
love it here,” he
said.
Sarnia jumped into a
1-0 lead early in
the first frame when
Jesse Drydak put on
a sudden burst of
speed, broke into
the clear and fired
the puck high into
the net. Waldie and
Chase Clark drew
assists on the play,
which gave Drydak
his team-leading
ninth goal of the
season.
In the second stanza
Clark scored his
eighth of the
campaign with a hard
shot from the top of
the faceoff circle.
The shorthanded
marker was assisted
by captain Tyler
Cicchini.
Waldie put on a
deflection clinic in
the third period.
Asked to describe
his first goal of
the final frame,
which came at the 18
second mark, he
said, “Jesse Drydak
made a nice pass out
in front and I
tipped it through
the goalie's legs.”
Tanner Ferguson also
assisted on the
play.
Waldie's second goal
came 13 minutes
later. “Tyler
Cicchini made a nice
pass and I was
cutting through the
middle and tipped it
in off the post,” he
explained. Joel
Steeves was also
credited with a
helper on that one.
Andy Sokol rounded
out the scoring in
the last minute of
play when he took a
pass from Kyle
Flemginton and
blasted a shot by
goalie Ryan
Malinowski from a
sharp angle. For
Sokol, it was his
third of the season.
Legionnaires goalie
Jesse Raymond made
27 saves to pick up
his first shutout.
Last year, playing
in St. Marys,
Raymond registered
three goose eggs for
the Lincolns.
-
Attendance was
1,164, bringing
the total for
the year so far
to a
league-leading
10,793. That's
3,000 more fans
than the second
highest team
(Stratford) has
drawn.
-
Sarnia will try
for its fourth
straight win
Thursday when
the Chatham
Maroons visit
the Brock Street
Barn.
-
Prior to
Saturday's game
the Legionnaires
honoured
surviving
members of the
1949/50 Sarnia
Sailors.
-
There was one
fight in which
Sokol ended up
on top of a
Flyer opponent.
-
Sarnia pumped 33
shots on goal.
-
The Legionnaires
have allowed
three or fewer
goals in each of
their last eight
games.
-
On Oct. 29 the first 500
ladies through the door will
receive a carnation in
recognition of Breast Cancer
Awareness Month.
-
The Legionnaires and Breast
Buddies are pre-selling
tickets for the Oct. 29 game
for $5. All proceeds will go
to Breast Buddies. Tickets
are available at the game,
from an executive or at
SarniaWeddings.com located
in the Northgate Plaza.
(beside Williams Pastry)
