By Dan McCaffery
The Sarnia
Legionnaires
picked up a big
win Saturday,
dumping the
first place
Leamington
Flyers 7-4.
"The boys really
played well,”
head coach Dan
Rose said
afterward. “Our
defensive game
created a lot of
opportunities.”
The victory
improved
Sarnia's record
to 29-14-1. That
leaves them in
third place in
the Western Jr.
'B' hockey
standings, one
point behind the
second ranked
Chatham Maroons.
The Maroons have
two games in
hand on the
Legion crew.
"We're going to
have to win all
our remaining
games to get
second,” Rose
said.
In fact, even
that won't be
enough unless
Chatham suffers
a few setbacks
during the final
two weeks of the
regular season.
Rose said his
team is aware
that it will
need some help
from other teams
to get second.
“We know that,
but we've got a
shot.”
Leamington showed up at the Brock Street barn without either of its
regular goalies
in tow. Both
were sitting out
the first of
two-game
suspensions.
That left midget
call-up Tyler
Wall to face a
40-shot barrage
from the
Legionnaires,
including many
of the quality
variety.
Brandon Layman
opened the
scoring on a
first period
breakaway, much
to the delight
of a crowd of
more than 1,100
fans. Assists
went to Ryan
Vendramin and
Jordan Fogarty.
In the middle
frame, Kyle
Perkowski scored
on a breakaway
of his own to
tie the score at
1-1.
But the Flyers
had barely
finished
celebrating when
Jay Clarke found
the back of the
net with a sharp
angle shot.
Clarke's marker,
his eighth of
the season, came
just 27 seconds
after
Perkowski's
tally. Helpers
on the play went
to Captain
Nathan Mater and
Jake O'Donnell.
Riley Babkirk
made it 3-1
after being set
up by Cody
Trowell.
However, the
goal was
initially
credited to
teammate Cameron
Clarke.
Not long after
that, Jordan
Fogarty scored
an unassisted
marker to give
Sarnia a
three-goal
bulge.
But Kyle Quick
scored twice in
a row for
Leamington (one
late in the
second period
and one early in
the third) to
narrow the gap
to 4-3.
Just when it
looked as if
there might be a
nail-biter of a
finish, Sarnia's
Hunter Tyczynski
sent a laser
beam into the
cage to make it
5-3. Jay Clarke
and Bob King
earned assists
on the play.
Babkirk put the
game away with a
power-play
marker before
the third period
was half over.
"Kyler Keating
took a shot from
the point and it
bounced right to
me,” said
Babkirk, who
dented the twine
while standing
in the faceoff
circle.
Just to be sure
there would be
no comeback,
Vendramin
deflected home a
point shot from
Jake O'Donnell.
Tyler Duarte had
the other Flyers
tally.
Goalie Andrew
Masters made 30
saves to pick up
the win.
Wall, who faced
40 shots,
suffered the
loss.
However, the
young goalie
could hardly be
blamed for the
outcome.
Sarnia had many
great scoring
chances and, as
related above,
one of its goals
came on a
breakaway while
another was the
result of a
deflection.
The Legionnaires
are back in
action Wednesday
when they travel
to London to
face the
Nationals.
Their next home
game is next
Thursday against
St. Marys.
