Sarnia survives lead, claims 5-2 victory
SARNIA, Ont. – There was no North Bay Battalion comeback against the Sarnia Sting this time.
Sarnia got goals from five different players to defeat the Battalion 5-2 Friday night and extend its Ontario Hockey League winning streak to six games.
In the teams’ first meeting, at North Bay on Nov. 2, the Battalion scored six unanswered goals, including two empty-netters, to shock Sarnia 8-5 after trailing 5-2 in the second period.
Kevin Spinozzi, Stephen Pierog, Patrick White, Troy Lajeunesse and Alexandre Renaud scored for the Sting, which hasn’t lost since a 7-1 setback to the visiting Erie Otters on Nov. 21. Goaltender Taylor Dupuis faced 18 shots before an announced crowd of 2,697 at the RBC Centre.
Sarnia has a won-lost-extended record of 14-11-2 for 30 points, second in the West Division.
Miles Liberati had one goal and one assist and Mike Amadio the other goal for the Battalion, 14-6-5 for 33 points atop the Central Division. It was the Troops’ second loss by more than one goal, the first a 3-1 home-ice setback Nov. 16 against the Mississauga Steelheads.
Goaltender Jake Smith allowed all five goals on 25 shots through two periods before being relieved by Evan Cormier to start the third. Cormier faced six shots in finishing up the first of three Battalion road games in as many days.
Amadio opened the scoring with his 11th goal of the season at 6:29 of the first period as he redirected Liberati’s shot at the left side of the crease. Nick Paul earned the second assist.
Defenceman Spinozzi replied in unlikely fashion at 8:12, beating Smith low to the glove side from centre ice, and Pierog scored at 13:10, hammering home a Brandon Lindberg feed from the top of the right-wing circle. It was Pierog’s first goal in seven games since a trade from the Guelph Storm.
White struck at 15:05 of the second period, igniting a three-goal outburst in a span of 4:28. He darted down the left wing, eluded Kyle Wood and made a strong move to the net to slip a backhander between Smith’s legs for what proved to be the winning goal.
Lajeunesse tucked the rebound of an Anthony DeAngelo shot inside the right post at 17:36, and Renaud put a loose puck past the sprawled Smith at 19:33.
The Battalion, outshot 10-5 in the period, tested Dupuis early when he found a Wood shot through traffic off the left wing in the third minute. The New Liskeard product got in front of an Alex Henriksson shot from the deep slot in the 15th.
Liberati connected at 5:18 of the third period, racing off the bench to deposit a Hampus Olsson feed past Dupuis’s blocker from the left circle. The goal, also assisted by Marcus McIvor, was defenceman Liberati’s second.
The Troops had two good chances while shorthanded late, but Dupuis came out to challenge Liberati off the right wing and Paul fired high on a left-wing rush.
The Battalion visits the Windsor Spitfires at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. The game can be seen live in North Bay on TVCogeco Cable 12 and heard on Country 600 CKAT.
BATTALION BULLETS: In the meeting at Memorial Gardens, Paul had three goals and Amadio three assists, with Smith getting the win in relief of Cormier. Starter Justin Fazio and Dupuis, who took the loss, split duties in the Sarnia net. “I think we’ve learned a lot in general, not just from that game, but learning how to win, learning how to play with a lead,” Sting assistant coach Andy Delmore told The Observer, Sarnia’s daily newspaper … Amadio has scored in each of the last four games, also earning three assists in that span for seven points … Paul has two goals and four assists for six points in a four-game points streak … The Battalion’s Ray Huether saw the end of a four-game points streak during which he had two goals and two assists for four points … North Bay went 0-for-1 on the power play. Sarnia was 0-for-3 … The Troops’ 18 shots were their fewest this season … The Battalion was without Zach Bratina, Mark Shoemaker and Calvin Gomes … Lindberg saw the end of a four-game goals streak … Sarnia centre Pavel Zacha completed a six-game suspension, while defenceman Jakob Chychrun, the No. 1 pick in the OHL Priority Selection in April, remained sidelined with an injury … Right winger Chase Campbell, a third-round pick in April, made his Sting debut after starting the season with the junior B Waterloo Siskins.
The online game sheet can be found here.
The game highlights can be found here.
