ST. MARYS – Shawn Waldie scored two goals here Saturday to pace the Sarnia Legionnaires to a surprisingly difficult 3-1 victory over the Wheatfield Blades.

The win, which was the third in a row for coach Jeff Perry's squad, came at the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League's annual Showcase Tournament.

The tourney features teams from the league's three conferences playing 13 interlocking games. It is designed to give scouts a chance to see all 26 of the province's Jr. 'B' clubs play in a single place on one weekend.

Sarnia, which plays in the Western conference, went into the contest with a 5-6 won-lost record. Wheatfield, a New York State club, is one of the Golden Horseshoe loop's weaker sisters. Indeed, it was sporting a 1-9 record heading into the match.

Needless to say, Sarnia was expected to win with relative ease.

But it didn't turn out that way.

In fact, Blades goalie Eric Moeller made it clear the Star Spangled squad was not going to go down without a fight, kicking out 15 shots in the first period alone. Over the course of the game, Moeller made 39 saves, many of them of the sensational variety, and was named the game's first star.

Great penalty killing

Despite their inability to score during the opening period, the Legionnaires did demonstrate excellent penalty killing. In fact, they escaped four shorthanded situations, including one in which they were at a two-man disadvantage.

In the second stanza, Nathan Mater scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal on a breakaway to give Sarnia a lead it would never surrender. Waldie added a powerplay marker before the period ended, sending the Legionnaires to the dressing room with a 2-0 edge.

But Wheatfield fought back, getting the first goal of the third frame to cut the margin to one.

However, that was as close as they would get. Waldie finished the Blades off, stretching to redirect a shot into their net with less than four minutes left.

• Mater and Waldie now both have three goals on the season.

• Sarnia goalie Kyle Washer, who made 23 saves, picked up his fifth win of the campaign. He has a splendid 2.50 GAA (goals against average) and an almost equally impressive save percentage of .924.

• The Legionnaires were 1for 4 with the man advantage. Wheatfield was 0-for-7 and twice failed to score with a pair of extra skaters on the ice.

• The Legionnaires were missing defencemen Steve Farlow and Tanner Ferguson, along with Captain Tyler Cicchini. Winger Tyler Annett was put back on the blueline and played well, as did the rest of the defence corps.

• Tanner Tomlinson flattened a Blades player who had roughed up Jesse Drydak after a whistle.

• Polish import Jan Rodziewicz failed to score, but he looked dangerous on a number of occasions.

• Jeff Paulley, Braden Kravaratzis, Owen Rogers and Brent Sauve had assists for the winners.

• Waldie was second star and Rogers was third star.

• The Legionnaires, who have now won four of their last five games, return to action Wednesday when they travel to London to face the Nationals. They're home Thursday to the Chatham Maroons. Game time at the Brock Street Barn is 7:10 p.m.