Legionnaires
Thriller Second Win of the Week
October 23, 2015
COMMUNITY NEWS
Jordan Fogarty
#15 scores winning goal
submitted photo by Anne Tigwell/Sarnia
Legionnaires
By Dan McCaffery
It was harder than expected, but
the Sarnia Legionnaires got
their second straight win
Thursday, edging the last place
St. Marys Lincolns 5-4.
Jordan Fogarty scored the
winning goal, tipping in a
cross-ice pass from Ryan
Vendramin with just over a
minute left in regulation time.
Asked if his club had
underestimated the struggling
Lincs, Sarnia head coach Mark
Davis said, “Everybody does.
They've got one great line and
they've got a great coach.
They're a lot better team than
their record shows. And their
goaltender played really well.
He made some huge saves.”
Davis added, “St. Marys keeps
coming at you, that's for sure.
We played well but they scored
some timely goals.”
With the Jr. 'B' hockey game
deadlocked at 4-4 late in the
third period, Fogarty made a
crucial decision that changed
the outcome of the game.
"I thought about going off on a
line change when I noticed Ryan
Vendramin was getting an
opportunity to get some pressure
on the net” Fogarty recalled
afterward. “So I joined him on a
two-on-two rush, knowing he'd
been making great plays all
night. I went to the net and he
managed to find me with a pass
that I redirected in on the
short side. It sneaked over the
goalie's pad.”
With the win the Legionnaires
improved to 7-5-1-1, giving them
a share of fourth place in the
nine-team Western Ontario Hockey
Conference standings. In fact,
Sarnia and London now find
themselves deadlocked at 16
points apiece, just one point
behind third ranked LaSalle.
The Lincs led 1-0 after the
first period, courtesy of a
shorthanded tally by Phil Buque.
But rookie Alec Dekoning banged
in a rebound to square matters
early in the middle stanza.
Jarret Marks had the lone assist
on what was Dekoning's fourth of
the season.
Fogarty put Sarnia ahead shortly
after that, finishing off a
nifty three-way passing play
with Vendramin and defenceman
Eric Marsh.
Brent House tied the game for
the Lincs at 13:56 but Vendramin
put Sarnia ahead yet again,
burying a hard wrist shot after
accepting a long pass from Derek
Johnson. It was Vendramin's
third goal of the campaign.
Before the second period was
over the visitors would score
twice more, with Graham Brulotte
pulling the trigger on both
markers. But Sarnia headed into
the dressing room with a 4-4
tie, thanks to a Ryan Trottier's
fourth of the season, which came
on a power-play. Dekoning and
Brett Storr drew assists.
Game notes:
Netminder Emanuel Vella (who
faced 51 shots) took the loss
despite making a number of
fabulous stops.
Goalie Shayne Battler made 25
saves to pick up his sixth win
of the season.
On top of his goal, Vendramin
had two assists.
Attendance at the Brock Street
barn was 1,121.
