Jon Maillet For the Journal
Despite being significantly outshot, the Sarnia Legionnaires dominated the scoreboard Saturday at home to the St. Marys Lincolns, snapping a two-game losing streak with a 6-3 victory.
Logan Phillips faced a barrage of shots all night, as St. Marys dominated the shot clock 38-19, including a second period in which the Lincolns had a 14-2 edge in shots. The Legionnaires netminder stood tall though, making 35 saves in the win.
Sarnia would score twice on the powerplay in the first period, and take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Cameron Graham started the scoring — his fifth this season — to give Sarnia an early 1-0 lead; the goal came at the 3:20 mark of the first with the man advantage. Ty Moffat picked up the lone assist. St Mary’s would later tie it on a powerplay goal from Chase MacQueen-Spence, his sixth of the season, though it would not remain tied for long. Just a little over two minutes later, Sarnia would regain the lead on Ryan Richardson’s third of the season, another powerplay goal to give Sarnia the 2-1 lead.
The teams would trade goals in the second period; Ethan Weir scored with just over five minutes left in the second to tie the game at 2-2, his third of the season, while Ryan Richardson scored his second of the game late in the second to put Sarnia in front again, 3-2.
Phillips put on a clinic in that second period, as St. Marys dominated the middle period, throwing 14 shots at the Sarnia netminder, who stood tall and kept his team in front.
In the third, it was all Legionnaires as Richardson completed the hat trick to start the period; that goal came just 27 seconds into the final frame and gave Sarnia the 4-2 lead. Richardson now has five goals on the season — the goal was unassisted. Colton Graham added his first of the season just a minute and a half later, lifting Sarnia to a 5-2 lead early in the third.
Adam Barkley would cut the Sarnia lead to 5-3 late in the third, his second of the season on the powerplay.
St Marys would make a late push with the goalie out, however Ayden Hakkers would seal the deal with his third goal of the season, and the Legionnaires would take the 6-3 win with the empty netter.
With the win, Sarnia now sits just a point back of the St. Marys Lincolns in the western Conference in fifth, with a 5-5-1 record.
Sarnia now looks ahead to a pair of games against the Chatham Maroons; they host Chatham Thursday at the Pat Stapleton Arena, then on the road in Chatham Sunday night.
Chatham leads the season series 1-0 after a 6-5 overtime win back on September 28, Sarnia looks to keep the momentum going starting Thursday night at 7:10 p.m.