By Dan McCaffery
Rookie
defenceman Jake
O'Donnell was
steady as a rock
Thursday as the
Sarnia
Legionnaires
upended the
London Nationals
3-1.
"O'Donnell
played really
solid, head
coach Dan Rose
said afterward.
He was steady.
Rose added his
entire defensive
corps came to
play.
"All of our 'D'
has played
really well the
last two games.
They've got a
good rhythm
going. And
Andrew Masters
has been giving
us good
goaltending.
In fact, during
their last two
outings the
Legionnaires
have surrendered
just two goals.
Ryan Vendramin
got the Sarnians
off on the right
foot when a
London player
redirected his
shot into the
net. Brandon
Layman and
Cameron Clarke
also drew an
assist on the
play, which came
at 10:49 of the
opening stanza.
Vendramin now
has 22 goals on
the campaign, a
figure that's
all the more
impressive when
you realize he
missed the first
dozen games.
Jordan Fogarty
made it 2-0 for
the home team
late in the
period when he
took a pass from
Layman and fired
the rubber into
the net while
standing on the
lip of the
crease.
Vendramin also
got a helper on
the goal, which
was Fogarty's
16th of the
season.
Trevor Dulong
got London's
only goal,
squeezing a shot
through Masters
in the dying
minutes of the
middle period.
Ryan Trottier
got an insurance
marker for
Sarnia in the
final 20
minutes, scoring
his 9th of the
year with a
blast from the
slot.
With the win the
Legionnaires
improved their
record to
28-14-1, good
enough for third
place in the
Western Jr. 'B'
hockey
standings, five
points ahead of
fourth ranked
LaSalle and
three back of
second place
Chatham.
Layman said
afterward that
the Legionnaires
have not given
up on getting
second place.
We battled
through a lot of
injuries during
the middle of
the season, he
said. We want
second.
Masters made 31
saves to pick up
the win.
Justin Tugwell,
who blocked 29
shots, was
tagged with the
loss.
The Legionnaires
return to action
tonight (Friday)
traveling to St.
Mary's then
return home for
their third game
in a row on
Saturday when
they host the
first place
Leamington
Flyers. Game
time is at 7:10
pm at the Sarnia
Arena.
With Saturday
being Hockey Day
in Sarnia the
Legionnaires
invite any
hockey player
girls or boys up
to Midget age to
wear their
hockey shirt or
jacket and they
will be admitted
in free to the
game.
Everyone is
invited to bring
their skates and
join the
Legionnaires
after the game
for a skate with
the team.
