Bluebirds split a pair

By Wyatt Williams

The Tilbury Bluebirds had not played a game in the Western Ontario Super League since mid-January and maybe suffered a little lag, but still managed to split a pair of games this weekend.

On Friday night, the Strathroy Rockets proved to be Tilbury’s Achilles heel, defeating the Bluebirds 5-4 in OT. The Rockets have handed the Bluebirds three, of their four losses this season.

Vyacheslav Chegrintsev, Kade McKibbin, Stephane Crevier, and Jeff Burridge all scored for the Birds. The Rockets had goals from Jake Alkins, Steven Hillier, Justin McIntyre, and Mike Mandarelli. Hillier would pot his second of the night at the 00:55 mark of overtime for the win.

Saturday night at home against a strong Tillsonburg Thunder (currently sitting fourth), the Bluebirds would pull off an 8-5 win. Tillsonburg had a lead at three different times in the game and were quite effective at possession of the puck in the offensive zone, but eventually, the home team would prevail.

The Bluebirds spread the scoring out with Mike MacIntyre and Travis Winkworth getting goals in the first. Ryan Roth would score a pair with a goal in the second period and an empty net goal in the game’s dying minutes. Austin Jennings, Adam Hughes and Erik Winter would also notch second-period goals.

In the third the Thunder’s Jamie McQueen would score the team’s fifth goal of the night, forcing the Bluebirds to protect a one-goal lead, until the two empty net goals. Kade McKibbin stuck a knife in it when he put in his empty net goal.

Tillsonburg’s other goal scorers were Matt Weston, Mike Rebry, Kurtis Christo, and Braden Roberts.