By Dan McCaffery
The Sarnia Legionnaires are
starting to fade from the
race for first place.
Coach Dan Rose's club lost
its fourth game in five
starts Thursday, dropping a
4-3 decision to the Chatham
Maroons.
As a result, Sarnia finds
itself in second place in
the Western Ontario Hockey
Conference standings, four
points back of the front
running Leamington Flyers.
Sarnia has three games in
hand on the Tomato Town
team.
The Legionnaires were
solidly in first after
coming out of the gate with
13 straight wins. But a rash
of injuries and suspensions
has hurt the club in recent
weeks.
“We didn't play that bad
tonight,” Rose said. “They
outworked us for a little
bit, but it was one of those
games that could have gone
either way.”
He added the visitors got
some lucky bounces,
including one where the puck
was batted out of the air
into the net.
Rose also praised his
penalty killers, who fought
off a couple of shorthanded
situations.
Sarnia was missing three
players, including suspended
defencemen Sam McCormack and
Tyler Prong and injured
forward Ryan Trottier.
“With guys out of the lineup
there were some mismatches
out there,” he said.
The Maroons outshot Sarnia
39-25.
Legionnaire goals came off
the sticks of Jay Clarke
(his fourth), Riley Babkirk
(his 11th) and Cody Trowell
with his 17th.
Babkirk's tally was a beauty
that saw him burst in alone
before whipping the puck
into the net from point
blank range.
Rookie rearguard Jake
O'Donnell had two assists
and earned third star
honours.
Brayden Hopkins got the
winner for Chatham, scoring
the only goal of the third
period. Other Maroons
marksmen included Jared
Dennis (with a pair) and
Trevor Richardson.
Although he was tagged with
the loss, goalie Hunter
Johnson played a solid game.
Included among his saves was
a sprawling stop on sniper
Michael Verboom, who came
streaking in on a breakway.
The Legionnaires are in St.
Thomas Friday.
They return home next
Thursday when they will host
the Lambton Shores
Predators. Game time at the
Sarnia Arena is set for 7:10
p.m.