Sting Nation Comes Through With 4,663 Teddy Bears Collected Sunday Against Saginaw
By Carl Chimenti
The Saginaw Spirit (14-11-1-0) got goals from four different players and that was all they needed as they beat the Sarnia Sting (8-15-1-4), 4-1, in the annual Teddy Bear toss game, in front of the largest crowd of the season 4,364, Sunday afternoon, at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena. The teddy bears rained on the ice from all corners of the hive at 3:55 of the second period following the lone Sting goal of the game from Beckham Edwards, his rookie league leading 12th of the season.
In total 4,600 bears were collected showing the Christmas good will from the Sarnia, Ontario community and region.
Easton Wainwright collected a milestone marker on the goal with an assist, his 100th career OHL point. Sting goaltender Nick Surzycia who stopped 28 of 32 shots, was awarded an assist on the goal. Edwards was named as the second star of the game. Saginaw’s Calem Mangone was the first star with a goal and Carson Harmer was selected as the third star with a goal and an assist.
PJ Forgione had two assists. Spirit netminder Andrew Oke turned away 13 of 14 shots beating Sarnia for the third time this season. The Sting had the better stats in the face-off circle 30-26, with Liam Beamish going 14/19 and Wainwright 9/17. Saginaw out-shot Sarnia 32-14. Both teams scored once on the power-play with the Sting going one for five and the Spirit one for four. Sarnia’s 14 shots on goal was a season low. The large crowd marked the third time this season that the Sting drew 4,000 plus fans for a game at the Hive.
A late goal from the Spirit in the first period was the only tally as Mangone scored at 19:20 from Harmer and Forgione. Sarnia killed off the only man-advantage situation, holding Saginaw without a shot on net. Overall, the Spirit put 11 shots on goal to the Sting’s 5. The second period started with the Spirit scoring a goal from Michael Misa at 1:14. Shortly after, with Edwards and Wainwright driving the net, Wainwright sent a pass to his left to Edwards and he scored the first Sting goal and the capacity crowd in attendance let loose with the teddy bears flying onto the ice from all sections of the arena, which was such a beautiful sight and a great Christmas tradition in the Ontario Hockey League.
The goal came at 3:55, with Sarnia on the power-play. After the Bears were collected from the ice, play resumed. Saginaw scored an unassisted goal from Kristian Epperson at 10:45 to send the Spirit to the second intermission, leading 3-1. Not many shots by either team, as Saginaw had 9 to Sarnia’s 6.
