Sarnia Scores Three Second Period Goals to Beat Flint 4-2
Sarnia Scores Three Second Period Goals to Beat Flint 4-2
By Carl Chimenti
The Sarnia Sting used three second period goals to propel there third win of the season as they beat the Flint Firebirds 4-2, Saturday night, at the Dort Financial Center. Sarnia evened their season record to 3-3-0-0 with two of those wins coming at the expense of the Flint Firebirds. Sting goaltender Evan Maillet turned in a sensational effort stopping 26 of 28 shots and was selected as the first star of the game. Flint scored the only goal of the opening period from Urban Podrekar with Alex Kostov picking up the lone helper. Sarnia was the better team in the period as they out-shot Flint 13-11. The Sting followed up with a dominating second period as they scored early, often and late with a barrage of shots – 16 to the Firebirds 9.
Sarnia received goal production from four different players in the game. Easton Walos opened the scoring with his second of the year and second in as many games, at the 45 second mark with help from Ryan Brown and Ben Pickell. Pickell, the rookie from Courtice, Ontario, ran his modest point streak to three games (1-3-4). It was great to see first round (4th overall) rookie Brenner Lammens back in the line-up, after he left Friday night’s game with a vicious cross-check to the neck, forcing him to leave the game. Lammens scored Sarnia’s second goal with his first career OHL goal at 2:45 to put the Sting up 2-1. Jacob Reese picked up an assist to extend his scoring streak to five games (1-4-5). Liam Beamish had the first of two assists in the game. With just 40 seconds left in the middle frame Sarnia went up 3-1 on a power-play goal from Matthew Manza, his second of the year at 19:20. Lukas Fischer (St. Louis Blues) and Beamish assisted on what proved to be the game winning goal and Manza was named as the second star.
The third period saw the two teams trading goals as Nathan Aspinall (New York Rangers) scored late at 15:29, on the power-play from Darels Uljanskis (Anaheim Ducks) and rookie Charlie Murata. The Sting with the help of Maillet shut the door, while adding an empty net goal from Jordan Bax, his second of the year from Beckham Edwards at 19:42, which wrapped up the victory for the Sting. The assist for Edwards extended his point streak to five games (3-5-8). Sarnia out-shot Flint 10-8 in the final stanza and 39-28 overall in the game. Both team scored one power-play goal as the Sting went 1/3 and the Firebirds scored once in four man-advantages. Sarnia once again as they have done in each of their six games this season dominated on face-offs by a wide margin of 35-15. Flint goaltender Mason Courville had a strong game for the Firebirds with 35 saves and was the third star.
