Sarnia Sting vs Saginaw Spirit
January 30, 2010
By DAVE BORODY
special to
SAGINAW, Mich. – An
inspired effort by the
Sarnia Sting fell a little
short against the Saginaw
Spirit Saturday night.
Despite holding a 41-30 edge
in shots on goal the Sting
suffered a 4-2 loss before
an announced crowd of 5,527
fans at the Dow Event
Centre.
Sarnia held a 2-0 lead early
in the second period before
the Spirit tied the game
before the second period was
over and scored a pair of
unanswered goals in the
third frame.
Sting head coach Dave
MacQueen was happy with the
way his team responded after
losing 7-2 to the Spirit on
home ice 24 hours earlier.
“We played with more passion
and energy and we seemed up
and wanted to do the little
things. We got some saves
and played hard. The
difference was our missed
opportunities. We outshot
them and outchanced them.”
He added, “what turned the
game around was two
penalties we got early in
the third period. We killed
off one. But they scored
what turned out to be the
winning goal on the second
one.”
After a scoreless first
period, Sarnia jumped out to
a 2-0 lead early in the
second frame.
Brett Ritchie opened the
scoring a minute into period
two when he whipped home a
low wrist shot from the slot
for his ninth goal of the
season.
Nathan Chiarlitti staked the
Sting to a 2-0 lead at 4:20
on a power play when he took
a cross-ice pass from Kale
Kerbashian and sent home a
low drive past Spirit goalie
Edward Pasquale. It was
Chiarlitti’s fourth of the
year.
But the hometown Spit fought
back and tied the game with
a pair of goals 36 seconds
apart.
Ryan O’Connor got the first
at 11:32 on a power play
when his wrist shot from the
slot deflected off a Sting
stick and past goalie Shayne
Campbell. Cody Sol tied the
game at 12:08 when he
drilled home a high slapshot
from the left point.
Sarnia had a great chance
late in the period while
shorthanded when Zack
MacQueen was alone in front,
but fired a wrist shot over
top of the net.
Both teams missed wonderful
opportunities early in
period three. Barry
Sanderson of the Spirit had
a wide open net from close
range, but his shot hit the
post. Seconds later Jesse
Stoughton of the Sting stole
the puck and was in alone,
but his backhand went wide.
Saginaw took their first
lead of the game at 6:45 on
a power play when Josh
Shalla converted a great
cross-ice pass from Jordan
Skellett. Campbell had
little or no chance on the
shot.
The Sting had good chances
to tie the game, especially
close-in chances by
Kerbashian and Brandon
Francisco, but Pasquale
closed the door.
Skellett put the game away
with just over two minutes
remaining when he
intercepted a clearing pass
in the Sting zone and
drilled a slapshot past
Campbell from the slot.
Chiarlitti was back in the
Sting lineup after missing
one game with an ear
infection. But rearguard
Brent Sullivan is out again
after suffering headaches in
last night’s game. Sullivan
left the game after playing
just one period. He had just
returned after missing five
games.
Sullivan’s season may be
over due to the number of
concussions he’s sustained
during his career with the
team. He’s expected to meet
with the coaching staff next
week to discuss his future.
Sullivan played 40 games
this season, the most he’s
ever played in one season
with the Sting. He had two
goals and 15 assists along
with 66 penalty minutes.
Also out of the lineup last
night were Kyle Flemington,
Anthony Donati and Ben
O’Quinn.
Chiarlitti felt the Sting
played well enough to win
last night’s game.
“We worked hard, but just
didn’t get the bounces. We
ran into a hot goalie.
Working hard isn’t enough
anymore. We have to dig down
and find a way to win some
games.”
Sarnia is now winless in 11
straight games in the
Ontario Hockey League.
The Sting concludes the
weekend when they travel to
Windsor Sunday afternoon to
battle the high-flying
Spitfires beginning at 2
p.m. Sarnia’s next home game
is Friday when the Owen
Sound Attack makes their
first visit to the RBC
Centre. Game time is 7:35
p.m.
- Pasquale was first star
while Kerbashian (who
assisted on both Sting
goals), was second star and
Shalla third star.
- - Sarnia was one-for-five
on the power play and
Saginaw two-for-five.
- Sarnia is 0-5 against
Saginaw this year. The teams
play one more time.
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