Foote first star in win

A must-win for the Storm to keep pace with the Owen Sound Attack who knocked off Peterborough tonight, Guelph clung to a one goal lead for much of the night, before Michael Latta scored a pair late to lock up a 5-2 road victory for the Storm.

Making his fifth straight start between the pipes for Guelph since returning from surgery, Brandon Foote played great for the Storm making several timely saves to keep his team on top.  In the first period, rookie Carter Sandlak gave the visitors a lead that they wouldn’t surrender with his fifth of the season.  Conor O’Donnell with a nice feed from beside the Sting goal to Sandlak set up the goal with Sam Lofquist earning the second helper.  The Storm would take their 1-0 lead into the first intermission despite being outshot 11-10 and outchanced in the game’s opening twenty minutes by Sarnia.

The game would remain 1-0 for exactly 15 minutes with both netminders making big saves, until Shayne Campbell stumbled in the Sarnia goal on a Tyler Carroll shot that he couldn’t handle.  Carroll’s wrist shot from the faceoff circle caught the top of Campbell’s trapper but flipped past the Sarnia netminder and over the goal line for Carroll’s tenth.  The Sting would head to the powerplay a few minutes later and finally solve Foote with the extra attacker.  Sarnia leading scorer Kale Kerbashian took a pass at the left point then slid to the top of the circle and fired a blast that beat the Storm goalie.  Both clubs managed 11 shots in the second with each netminder stopping 10.

The third frame was almost 14 minutes old before any scoring, but the final six plus minutes kept the scorekeeper busy with four goals.  Taylor Beck started the scoring spree with his team-best 26th and ninth powerplay tally extending his scoring streak to 13 games.  After taking a pass from Peter Holland, Beck would pull it around a sliding Sarnia defender and use another Sting player as a screen to beat Campbell with a quick shot along the ice.  Sarnia would waste little time replying as Brandon Alderson made it a 3-2 game before the PA announcer could call out Beck’s tally.  Miroslav Preisinger held off a Storm backchecker and slid it across the crease where Alderson outraced his man to the puck and reached out for the tap in.  After killing off a late Sarnia powerplay, the Storm would add an important insurance marker with 3:02 remaining.  Latta would bull his way into the slot knocking down a Sarnia defender before picking up a long rebound.  The St. Clements native would fend off another Sarnia player, slowly spinning in the slot and roofing a backhander over Campbell for his 16th of the campaign.  O’Donnell with his second assist of the game and Sisca with a well earned helper after some tenacious forechecking would pick up points on Latta’s insurance.  Before the end of the third, Latta would pot his second in less than three minutes into the empty Sarnia net from Ryan Gottschalk to make it a 5-2 final.  Guelph played their best period of the game when it mattered most outshooting their hosts 12-8 and clamping down for much of the stanza.

Tomorrow night, the Saginaw Spirit will visit the Sleeman Centre for a 7:30 pm start and another important contest for the Storm.  A regulation win on Friday can bring Guelph within seven points of Owen Sound and eight points back of the Spirit.  Then on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm, the sixth place Erie Otters come to Guelph.  For tickets to either game, call or visit the Guelph Storm box office or buy online at GuelphStorm.com.

Guelph Storm 5 At Sarnia Sting 2 – Status: Final
Jan 21, 2010 – RBC Centre

Guelph 1 1 3 – 5
Sarnia 0 1 1 – 2

1st Period-1, Guelph, Sandlak 5 (O’Donnell, Lofquist), 13:50. Penalties-McNaughton Gue (slashing), 6:03; Neuber Sar (hooking), 9:03.

2nd Period-2, Guelph, Carroll 10 (Campbell), 8:50. 3, Sarnia, Kerbashian 17 (Preisinger, Rogalski), 13:22 (pp). Penalties-Rogalski Sar (hooking), 6:00; Holland Gue (delay of game), 13:14; O’Donnell Gue (holding), 14:19.

3rd Period-4, Guelph, Beck 26 (Syvret, Holland), 13:45 (pp). 5, Sarnia, Alderson 12 (Preisinger, Kerbashian), 13:57. 6, Guelph, Latta 16 (Sisca, O’Donnell), 16:58. 7, Guelph, Latta 17 (Gottschalk, VanLaren), 19:52 (en). Penalties-Lofquist Gue (hooking), 3:00; Chiarlitti Sar (slashing), 9:30; Preisinger Sar (check from behind), 12:31; Sisca Gue (tripping), 14:13.

Shots on Goal-Guelph 10-11-12-33. Sarnia 11-11-8-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Guelph 1 of 4; Sarnia 1 of 5.
Goalies-Guelph, Foote 3-2-0-0 (30 shots-28 saves). Sarnia, Campbell 5-10-1-0 (32 shots-28 saves).
A-2,656
Referees-Brad Beer (21), Ryan Hutchison (20).
Linesmen-Kevin Hastings (61), Tyler Callander (94).