Searle Answers the Call in win over Sting
By Tony Saxon, Guelph Mercury
It’s about time things started going right for big David Searle.
Searle, the team’s biggest player at six foot six, 225 pounds, hasn’t contributed much to the team in the two-plus years since they drafted him in the second round. The numbers game and injuries have been part of the reason.
Saturday the Peterborough native was thrust into the spotlight and played a significant role in the Storm’s 5-4 win over the Sarnia Sting.
With Sam Lofquist not dressed and Andrey Pedan tossed early in the second period for slew footing, the team turned to Searle and rookie Matt Finn for some added ice time on the back end.
“David played a very solid game. He kept it simple and blocked a lot of shots and that’s what we need from him,” praised Storm coach Jason Brooks.
Blocking shots was something the Storm did very well as a team in its second win of the weekend. Searle blocked a couple, Daniel Maggio took one in the head, Francis Menard one in the hand and Cody McNaughton the ribs.
While his puck handling skills will never be mistaken for Bobby Orr’s, Searle did what he has to do: keep it simple and get in people’s way.
“After Pedan got that slew foot, I had to step up to the plate,” Searle said. “The more you play, the more comfortable you get, that’s for sure.”
Five-on-five, the Storm was clearly the better team in Sarnia.
Unfortunately they spent the vast majority of the second period shorthanded, including a couple of length five-on-three disadvantages, allowing the Sarnia Sting to score three power play goals and make a game of it.
Ultimately Guelph prevailed thanks to a Taylor Beck wrist shot late in the third period that Sting netminder John Cullen got a piece — but not all — of.
