Jon Maillet For the Journal
The Sarnia Sting finished up a three-game eastern road trip with a 6-3 loss to Ottawa Sunday afternoon.
Ottawa took control in the first period and never looked back, scoring twice in the opening frame and taking a 2-0 lead into the second.
Luca Pinelli opened the scoring for the 67’s midway through the first, his 15th of the season, followed by Bradley Stonehouse’s sixth of the season moments later at the 12:54 mark of the first.
In the second period, Sandis Vilmanis looked to breathe some life into the Sting with his sixth of the season. The goal came just under two minutes into the period, unassisted, cutting the 67’s lead to 2-1.
It wouldn’t take long though for the 67’s to respond. Will Gerrior regained the two-goal lead for Ottawa a little over a minute later; his sixth of the season came 3:17 into the second and put Ottawa in front 3-1.
Cooper Foster would light the lamp moments later at the 4:50 mark, putting Ottawa up 4-1 with his fourth of the season.
Sting rookie forward Nathan Omeri would find the back of the net at the 12:50 mark for his first career OHL goal. Zach Filak and Easton Wainwright assisted on the goal, cutting the 67’s lead to 4-2.
By the end of the second however, Ottawa would add one more, as Stonehouse scored his second of the game and seventh of the season to extend the Ottawa lead to 5-2 before the end of the second.
The 67’s would add one more, as Henry Mews picked up his second of the season early in the third period, to give Ottawa a commanding 6-2 lead.
Zach Filak would score for Sarnia, his 11th of the season, with just 50 seconds left — that would cut the 67’s lead to 6-3, but would be too little too late as Ottawa would close it out 6-3.
Special teams weren’t much of a factor in this one; Sarnia was unable to score on eight chances with the man advantage, while Ottawa went one-for-six on the powerplay.
Sarnia drops to 9-10-0-0 on the season with the loss, and will set their sights on the Bulldogs as they finish up a four-game road trip in Brantford Wednesday night at 7pm.
The Sting will welcome the return of Ryan Brown, who was away at the U17 HockeyChallenge with Team Canada Red; Brown recorded two goals and an assist through seven games in the tournament. Team Canada Red lost in the semi finals.
Sarnia native and Windsor Spitfire forward Jack Nesbitt played for Team Canada White and will come home with a gold medal, after Canada White beat the US 2-1 in the gold medal game.
Nesbit chipped in with a goal and an assist through eight games played.