By Dan
McCaffery
The Sarnia
Legionnaires
suffered a
crushing
loss in
overtime
Thursday
night in
Sarnia
before 1,786
hockey fans.
Coach Dan
Rose's
Western Jr.
'B' hockey
club
appeared to
have their
playoff
contest with
the LaSalle
Vipers well
in hand with
just a dozen
seconds left
in the third
period.
In fact, the
Sarnians
were ahead
3-2 and the
faceoff was
outside the
Legionnaires
blueline.
But nine
seconds
later the
game was
tied, thanks
to a
dramatic
goal by
Korey
Morgan.
If all that
wasn't bad
enough, the
Legionnaires
took what
Rose called
a
“questionable”
penalty in
OT that lead
to the
winner,
which was
credited to
Brett
Primeau.
It was like
watching the
play in slow
motion. With
two players
on top of
netminder
Andrew
Masters he
couldn't
reach to get
the puck
out.
The turn of
events left
Sarnia
trailing the
best-of-seven
semi-final
series three
games to
two.
The
Legionnaires
must win
Saturday in
LaSalle in
order to
force a
seventh and
deciding
game Sunday
at the Brock
Street barn.
"We got
outplayed,”
Rose said
afterward.
“We didn't
deserve to
win. We
stayed in
the game but
they
outplayed
us. We
couldn't
defend a
lead with 12
seconds left
and the
faceoff
outside our
zone.”
Asked what
his charges
have to do
to win the
series, Rose
said, “We've
got to work
as hard as
they do.
They've
outplayed us
the last two
games.”
Goalie
Andrew
Masters made
44 saves to
keep the
Legionnaires
in the game.
The Sarnians
fired only
22 pucks at
Vipers
goalkeeper
Paolo
Battisti.
Despite
LaSalle's
wide
territorial
edge in
play, Ryan
Trottier had
two goals
for Sarnia,
while Cody
Trowell
notched the
third.
Trowell's
tally, which
came late in
the third
period,
appeared to
put Sarnia
firmly in
the driver's
seat.
But Korey
Morgan tied
the game
just before
time expired
to force OT.
In addition
to his goal,
Trowell had
two assists.
Davis Boyer
also had two
helpers,
while single
assists went
to Cameron
Clarke and
Mitch Read.
In addition
to his
overtime
winner,
Primeau had
one goal in
regulation
time.
Brendan
Harrogate
had the
other Vipers
marker.
LaSalle was
2-for-7 with
the man
advantage
while Sarnia
was 2-for-6.
In total
there were
four
misconduct
penalties
called all
to Sarnia
players.
Defenceman
Tyler Prong
received two
game
misconducts
and was
ejected from
the game and
will sit out
the next
game.
Brandon
Layman
received a
game
misconduct
for checking
from behind
and the
questionable
call in over
time called
for head
check to
Kyler
Keating.
Rose said he
may insert
defenceman
Sam
McCormack,
who has
played in
only one
playoff
game, into
the lineup
for the next
game.
Game six
will be
played
Saturday in
LaSalle. A
win will
bring them
back to
Sarnia on
Sunday for
game seven.
