Sarnia Legionnaires goaltender Logan Phillips put in a phenomenal start Thursday night, making 41 saves in a 2-1 win over the Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins on home ice for the annual ‘Penny M. Lilley Wooley Toss Game.’
“A fantastic Thursday night at the Pat Stapleton Arena,” Legionnaires head coach Brian Irwin said after the game. “Really electric hockey game. I thought it was playoff atmosphere right from the get-go —they gave us everything we expected from them.”
Kitchener-Waterloo dominated the first period shot clock 14-6 and appeared to have taken an early 1-0 lead, but the goal would be waived off as the net was dislodged.
It was the second period that saw all of the scoring in this one, with the Siskins taking a 1-0 lead on a powerplay goal from Izac Blum just under 14 minutes into the middle frame.
As fans gripped their hats and mitts, Cameron Graham would find the back of the net less than two minutes after the Siskins took the lead; Graham’s 15th of the season brought with it a shower of donations onto the ice.
Thanks to members of the Sarnia Jr. Lady Sting, donations were collected quickly and the game resumed.
Anthony Tudino would add his 15th of the season to put Sarnia ahead 2-1 late in the second as Phillips would withstand a barrage of shots in the third to hold onto the win.
Siskins outshot Sarnia 18-2 in the third period.
“Yeah, Logan Phillips, what a night,” said Irwin. “I am real happy with our goaltending. We got a one-two-punch, that’s right up there. He had a great week with the Sting last week, and fantastic night for him tonight for sure.”
A few charities also picked up wins for the annual Wooly Toss game.
Sarnia Legionnaires team President Terry Lilley says this year has been one of the best yet in terms of donations, noting some 1,500 ‘woolies’ donated prior to the game, as well as financial contributions.
“We just donated $2,750 to St. Vincent De Paul for their Yule Glow [program], that’s the most we've ever done so far,” said Lilley.
The Wooly Toss game has been an annual event for the last 15 years, and with the passing of Lilley’s wife Penny in 2019, has since been named in her honou. The event helps to raise money as well as donations of hats, mittens and scarves for the Inn of Good Shepherd, Salvation Army and the St Vincent De Paul.
“We try to do our best, we try to get to as many and help as many charities as we can,” Lilley told the Journal. “We usually do three food drives a year. We split that up amongst the various charities.”
The Legionnaires have already completed two of those food drives, one earlier this year at Thanksgiving in support of St Vincent De Paul, as well the annual Turkey Toss game last week for the Inn of the Good Shepherd.
Lilley says there will be another food drive at the end of the season as well.
“We do do a lot of that stuff — the kids are out here and there promoting schools and things like that — we try to do as much charitable work as we can,” Lilley said, adding that he and the Legionnaires staff are happy to see the willingness of their players to participate in events like this, as well going into the schools to work with younger fans.
Now the Legionnaires look ahead to another inter-conference game, this time on the road to Listowel Friday night.
“Listowel is a bit of a wagon right now,” Irwin said. “They’re hotter than a firecracker, so we will have our hands full tomorrow night.”
The team will wrap up the 2022 calendar year back home December 21, as they host the St Mary’s Lincolns before the Christmas break.