Sarnia Sting Clinched West Division Title
WEDNESDAY MARCH 16, 2016
COMMUNITY NEWS
The Sarnia Sting
skated away with a 7-1 win over
the Guelph Storm on Tuesday
night, clinching the club’s
first Division Title since the
2003/04 season.
The Division title means that
the Sting will be the #2 seed in
the Western Conference come
playoff time, and secures home
ice advantage for at least the
first two rounds of the
post-season. With 3 games
remaining in the regular season,
the Sting are now 40-18-5-2 on
the year; just a single win away
from the franchise record set
back in 2002/03.
Matt Mistele netted a hat-trick
for the Sting while adding a
single assist to earn himself
first star honours. Nikita
Korostelev was named the game’s
second star, potting two
highlight reel goals in the
middle stanza. With a goal and
three assists, draft-eligible
forward Jordan Kyrou was the
third star of the game.
Mistele (30) opened the scoring
at 2:43 of the opening period,
off the Jordan Kyrou faceoff
win. The Sting would carry a 1-0
lead into the first intermission
– outshooting the Storm 13-6 in
the Stanza.
It wasn’t until the midway point
of the second frame that the
Sting would increase their
margin. Nikita Korostelev netted
his first of two pretty goals at
9:16.
Pavel Zacha would score at 12:54
to make it 3-0 Sting, with Alex
Black and Travis Konecny drawing
the assists.
Burghardt got the Storm on the
board at 17:01 of the second
period, only to have Korostelev
regain the 3 goal lead :26
later. Josh Jacobs and Matt
Mistele were credited with the
assists on Korostelev’s second
of the night and 22nd of the
season.
It was all Sarnia in the final
stanza as the club score three
unanswered – Mistele (2), Kyrou
– to round out the scoring and
secure the West Division Title.
Pending results from this
weekend, the Sting will either
meet the Soo Greyhounds or the
Owen Sound Attack in the first
round of the 2016 playoffs.
Before that, the Sting are home
to the Windsor Spitfires on
Sunday night to close out the
Regular Season. Puck drop is set
for 7:05 PM.
Note: Eric Ethridge will be
playing a benefit show in
Legends Tap & Restaurant in
support of Noelle’s Gift
following the game on Sunday.
STING NOTES:
-
Sarnia was
4/4 on the penalty kill but
failed to convert on all 5
power play opportunities
-
Final SOG:
Sarnia 35 – GUE 16
-
Graham earned
the win in goal for the
Sting, turning aside 15/16
