BY DAN McCAFFERY
The Sarnia
Legionnaires lost
another tough one
Thursday, falling
3-2 to the LaSalle
Vipers.
Like so many recent
contests, it was a
game the
Legionnaires could
well have won.
In fact, they
outshot the Vipers
32-29. But a failure
to score on the
power play did them
in. Sarnia was
0-for-7 with the man
advantage. And the
winning goal was a
shorthanded effort
by Eric Kirby.
"We worked hard,
then they go down
and score a
shorthanded goal,”
Sarnia head coach
Mark Davis said. “We
just can't find a
way to win right
now. I hope we can
get it going because
the playoffs are
just around the
corner.”
The Legionnaires,
who have lost three
in a row, find
themselves with a
record of 22-21-2-3.
They will finish in
sixth place in the
nine-team Western
Ontario Hockey
Conference
standings.
Brendan Shagena put
the Legionnaires
ahead 1-0 in the
first period,
redirecting the puck
into the cage for
his third of the
campaign. Eric Marsh
and Jarret Marks
drew assists.
But LaSalle
dominated the middle
frame, with Tyler
Russell and Brett
Primeau blinking the
red light to give
the visitors the
edge heading into
the final stanza.
They would have
enjoyed an ever
bigger lead if not
for some splendid
penalty killing,
including one
stretch when Sarnia
was two men short.
Captain Hunter
Tyczynski tied the
game at the 13:43
mark of the third,
cutting in front
before rifling home
his 10th of the
season. Marks and
Jordan Fogarty got
helpers on the play.
Three minutes later,
LaSalle's Eric Kirby
scored to give the
visitors the win.
Goalie Shayne
Battler suffered the
loss, while Vipers
netman Eli Billing
was credited with
the victory. Billing
also had an assist
on the winning goal.
Attendance was
1,172.
The Legionnaires has
two games remaining
in the regular
season with the
first next Thursday
when they host the
Maroons. Game time
at the Brock Street
barn is set for 7:10
p.m. The final game
is against Lambton
Shores.