By Dan McCaffery
Coach Dan Rose's
500th game behind
the bench of a Jr.
'B' hockey club is
one he won't soon
forget.
His Sarnia
Legionnaires saw to
that Monday,
defeating the London
Nationals 6-3 right
in the Forest City.
With the triumph the
Legionnaires
improved their
record to 25-12-1.
More importantly,
they moved back into
second place in the
Western Ontario
Hockey Conference
standings, one point
ahead of the Chatham
Maroons.
Jordan Fogarty was
the hero, scoring
twice and setting up
two other markers.
Ryan Vendramin was
almost as prolific,
picking up two goals
and an assist. Riley
Babkirk, meanwhile,
had a three-point
night (all assists).
Fogarty got the game
off on the right
foot for Sarnia,
scoring at the 14:25
mark of the opening
frame.
“Babkirk kept the
puck in their zone
and I went in on a
two-on-one break
with Vendramin,”
Fogarty recalled
later. “I hit the
far post and it went
in high.”
London's Rai Di
Loreto tied the game
before the
intermission.
But Cody Trowell put
Sarnia back in front
early in the second
frame, scoring his
28th of the season
from the slot.
Helpers went to Ryan
Trottier and Davis
Boyer, although
Tyler Prong appeared
to be the one who
set Trowell up with
a nice pass from the
point.
Later, with the
contest tied at 2-2,
Boyer scored his
26th of the season
after taking a feed
from Tyler Longo.
Longo earned the
assist in spades,
working tirelessly
in the corner to get
possession of the
puck.
In the dying seconds
of the middle frame,
with the score
knotted at three
apiece, Vendramin
scored with a low
drive from close
range to send Sarnia
into the dressing
room ahead 4-3.
Fogarty and Babkirk
earned assists on
the goal, which came
from a scramble in
front of the net
immediately
following a faceoff.
Early in the third
stanza Fogarty
struck again,
burying his second
of the game and 11th
of the season after
being left alone in
front.
“It was another
great play by my
linemates, who were
buzzing all night,”
Fogarty said. “I
found some open ice
and put it in low on
the blocker side.”
Babkirk and
Vendramin were
credited with
assists on the play.
Vendramin rounded
out the scoring,
firing the puck into
an empty net for his
second of the game
and 18th of the
season. Fogarty and
Babkirk earned
assists.
Vendramin, who
missed the first 11
games of the season,
now has 34 points in
just 27 contests.
Rookie goalie Cornel
Felder made 33 saves
in recording his
10th win of the
campaign. Justin
Tugwell, who also
made 33 saves, took
the loss in the Nats
cage.
The Legionnaires
were playing without
captain Nathan Mater
(suspended) and
defenceman Mitch
Read (ill).
They return to
action Thursday when
they host the
Nationals. Game time
at Sarnia Arena is
set for 7:10 p.m.
