Young Scores Twice, Maillet Hot In Net And, Van Volsen Scores Winner, To Lead Sarnia Past Kitchener 4-3

By Carl Chimenti

Mitch Young scored two goals, goaltender Evan Maillet stopped 31 of 33 shots and Jack Van Volsen scored the winner, as the Sarnia Sting (20-38-8-1) pulled off the impossible, stunning the top team in the Western Conference – Kitchener Rangers (47-14-4-2) 4-3 Friday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

Van Volsen (19th) scored with 17.6 seconds left in regulation to give the Sting their second straight win, and one of their sweetest victory of the season. Van Volsen scored from his back-hand with Kitchener a man short and on a penalty delay, as he buried the puck past Rangers goaltender Christian Kirsch (San Jose Sharks), after making the initial save to send the packed house at the Aud in a complete shock as boo’s reigned down, and with Kitchener’s coaching staff up in arms with the turn of events.

Sarnia defenseman and assistant captain Mitch Young, who hails from the nearby Kitchener area in Elmira, Ontario, and was playing in front of family and friends to support him in his next to last game in his OHL career, delivered arguably his best performance in a long line of great games during his four seasons with the Sting, scoring twice.

His second goal and seventh of the season tied the game at 3-3 with less than six minutes to play at 14:16. Like Van Volsen’s goal, it came following a rebound with Matthew Manza and Kalib Capecci assisting. Young was selected as the first star.

Manza, who also assisted on the winning goal along with Beckham Edwards, had three assists tonight. Beckham Edwards had two helpers. Dylan Edwards was the second star with two points.

Sarnia goaltender Evan Maillet stood on his head tonight, putting up a goaltending clinic, as he stopped 31 of 33 shots before he was forced to leave the game following an injury sustained early in the third period. It was hard to pinpoint which save was Maillet’s best, except to say he was sensational, especially in the first period stopping all 13 shots he faced, many of which were taken in high danger areas. Maillet was voted as the third star this evening.

It was a crazy game from the get-go as Sarnia was out-shot 13-1 in the opening period, and overall 46-20. Patrick Quinlan came in to replace the injured Maillet and he took over where Maillet left off, stopping all but one of the 13 shots he faced.

Sarnia’s Ben Pickell scored his 24th of the campaign. Liam Beamish, Jacob Reese, and Kalib Capecci had single assists.

The Sting will travel to Saginaw for a Saturday night tilt that is highly anticipated and will close the curtain for the 2025-26 season.

Dylan Edwards had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Gabriel Chiarot (Vancouver Canucks) and Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) also scored once. Sam O’Reilly (Tampa Bay Lightning) had a pair of assists. Both teams went 2/5 with the man advantage.

The first period was all Kitchener and only the excellent goaltending of Maillet kept the game scoreless. Even though the Sting registered only one shot, Sarnia did have a number of blocked shots as they were out-shot 13-1. Maillet was a wall in the opening stanza as he continued to stop shot after shot.

In the second period Kitchener out-shot Sarnia 16-9, with both teams scoring twice. The Sting took all of 13 seconds to match their shot total of the first period, and 22 seconds later Sarnia opened up the scoring.

Pickell let go a shot from the top of the face-off circle as he was streaking down the left side and his shot was misplayed by goaltender Kirsch. The puck went off his glove and into the net at the 38 second mark. Beamish and Reese assisted.

Dylan Edwards tied the game for the Rangers at 6:27 with a power-play goal from O’Reilly and Humphreys.

Chiarot put Kitchener up 2-1 at 11:27 with an unassisted goal. Chiarot took the puck at center ice off the face-off and raced in on goal to score.

Sarnia tied the game at 17:16 with a power-play goal of their own. Young scored off a rebound shot from Beckham Edwards to bury the puck past Kirsch. Manza drew the second assist.