Essex Showing Cracks, Beat Blades

Despite the fact the Essex 73s beat the Blenheim Blades 6-4 Tuesday night, the perennial powerhouse 73s have shown cracks in their armour in recent weeks.

In January, the 73s have lost a pair of games, half their season total, at the hands of the Lakeshore Canadiens and Amherstburg Admirals, who beat Essex Sunday night.

In Tuesday’s game against Blenheim, the Blades got out to a 4-1 lead over Essex before the 73s stormed back for the win.

Nolan Vandenboorn kicked off the scoring for the Blades in the first period, followed by an unassisted marker by new acquisition Matt Clark, who came over from the Wallaceburg Lakers on the weekend. Vandenboorn closed out the scoring in the first period collecting his second goal of the game.

To open the second frame, Kirk McKillop scored to make it 4-1, but that was all the offense Blenheim would find, as Essex began their comeback, eventually winning 6-4.

With only a handful of games remaining in the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League schedule, the parity in the league appears to be closer than it has been all season.

The Great Lakes regular season wraps up in January, with playoffs beginning the first week of February.