Blades Down Lakers Saturday Night
Submitted by the Blenheim Blades
Photo by Kelsey Vermeersch/ CKSN.ca
Blades defeat Lakers 10-4, climb back into first place
Blenheim Blades, with almost a full squad for the first time in quite awhile, beat the Wallaceburg Lakers 10-4 Saturday night at the Blenheim arena to climb back into sole possession of first place in the Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division.
The win, on the team’s annual ‘Alumni and Volunteer Hall of Fame Day’ was their 15th of the season to go with a pair of ties for 32 points, two up on the second-place Lakeshore Canadiens and three ahead of the third-place Essex 73’s. Four points back are the Amherstburg Admirals, who host the Canadiens Sunday night at 7 p.m.
The Blades have played a league high 25 games, while Lakeshore is at just 19, Essex at 20 and the Admirals at 22. It was a busy month for the Blades, who now see their schedule ease off through December and January with their next game being this coming Sunday when they play host to Amherstburg for the final time in the regular season at 7 p.m.
Blenheim and Amherstburg have played four times already with the Blades winning three of the meetings.
Saturday’s game was over almost before it started as the Blades grabbed a 3-0 lead over the last-place Lakers by 5:48 of the first period. From then on the goals just kept coming.
When it was all said and done, Matt Clark had scored three times – he now has eight goals – and added an assist as well.
Kier Cumming, back in the lineup after being knockout out by a vicious check into the boards in Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Mooretown Flags, scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season, and chipped in with one assist.
Patrick Wright, Dustin Maines, Nate Broek and Drew Marlatt each had a goal and an assist.
For Wright the goal was his first as a Blade, while Maines netted his ninth of the season, Broek his fifth and Marlatt his eighth.
Nick Delyzer and Brayden Hopkins also both returned to the lineup with Delyzer scoring his 16th and Hopkins chipping in with three assists.
Newcomer John Montgomery, playing just his second game since joining the Blades from the Junior ‘B’ Chatham Maroons, Michael Vanek and Chris Hall helped out with two assists each, with Owen Bateman and Bryce Broad picking up one apiece.
Brayden Kettlewell scored twice, with Alec Segers and Josh Farrugia adding singles for the 1-19-1 Lakers.
The Blades outshot the Wallaceburg 44-17 and took three of five minor penalties.
Eric Stewardson was in goal for Blenheim, with the win being his 12th in 17 games.
BLADES BITS: With the return of Hopkins, Delyzer and Brayden Seliga, the Blades were just missing forwards Zach Horvath and George Wood…Horvath was attending a wedding and Wood was out with an upper body injury sustained late in Thursday’s game against the Flags…The injury comes at a bad time for Wood who was suppose to AP to the Maroons Sunday night for his first Junior ‘B’ game… Over the day attendance was 755…The annual “Skate With the Blades” will take place after the Sunday, Dec. 11 game against the Wheatley Sharks…The team will be holding another Quarter Auction Friday, Dec. 16 at the Blenheim Legion…Tickets are $5 and available in the lobby.