Sting Split Weekend Series with Top Place Windsor Jr. Spitfires, News, 2005-2004/U18, 2021-2022 (Lambton Jr. Sting AAA Hockey )

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This Team is part of the 2021-2022 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Feb 13, 2022 | Steve McGrail | 265 views
Sting Split Weekend Series with Top Place Windsor Jr. Spitfires
After a 6 week shutdown, the lambton u18 squad had a tough time getting back to the level of hockey they were playing prior to the Christmas Covid shutdown.  Faced with numerous games in a short time, the Sting lads limped their way through a couple weeks while trying to find their skating legs and find that elusive chemistry that was lacking.  

The team battled hard each game, but what could go wrong - did.  Untimely, penalties, missed checks, pucks bouncing off players into our own net, failed breakouts, not getting pucks deep, missing open nets, hitting posts, injuries, suspensions...etc.etc. but the boys never quit.

A weekend series against the top squad in the alliance was the task presented to the boys this past weekend.  At home on Friday night, Lambton came out with energy and looked to take the momentum...but the play was slowed to a snail's pace as player after player got tossed out of the faceoff circle for having a toe over the hash marks.  The Sting fell behind 2-0 after one period.  Two minutes into the second frame, Owen Kalp used his soccer skills to kick a Kevin Waters pass up to his stick and it found a way through some legs and slid under the goalie's pad to make it 2-1. 

Windsor would respond with 2 more goals to go up 4-1 before "AK" Alex Akena found himself alone in the slot when Kevin Waters found him for a nice wrister to bulge the twine and narrow the score to 4-2.  Windsor would score  once more to salt the game away and seal the 5-2 victory.  Joe Malinowski was solid in net but took the loss in the Sting cage.

AP call-ups Sean Shanahan, Evan VanGorp and Jaden Arnold played well for the Sting.

Fogarty Scores Hat-trick to Lead Sting to Victory

It was a quick turnaround as Lambton headed East down the 401 for a return match with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires.
The boys in white were looking to get on the board early and play from ahead and get some confidence.  Down a few bodies on both sides, both teams came out flying trying to establish the forecheck and get pucks in deep.  It was back and forth until just over  the 7 minute mark when JJ. Fogarty tipped a Jace McGrail shot from the point past the Windsor goalie.  Owen Kalp also drew an assist on the play.   Windsor would strike back and tie it up before the end of the period to make it 1-1 at intermission.

In the second period Owen Kalp remained hot and scored on the power play from Fogarty and Will Hull.  Sting were back up 2-1.  Leads have not lasted long as of late and this was no different as Windsor score to tie it up at 2-2.  The boys kept working hard and refused to quit and were rewarded by keeping their cool and not retaliating.
Jace McGrail scored on a nice backdoor feed from Waters on the powerplay to go up 3-2.  Sting had some confidence and were starting to believe in themselves again, only to have Windsor come back and score on a deflection.

With the game tied 3-3.  JJ Fogarty took the game over and went beast mode.  Fogarty rifled a rocket wrister, bar down from outside the blueline.  Ben Church who tapped the puck to Fogarty while he was roughing up a Windsor player, drew an assist.  Owen Hodgins also picked up an assist on the play.  Sting were up 4-3 with over a minute to go.  A couple timeouts, a pulled goalie, a Sting penalty, 6on4,  a hit post on an empty net, a few heart pounding moments were all part of the hectic final seconds before Fogarty intercepted a Windsor pass in the neutral zone and rifled it into the yawning cage to complete his hat-trick and seal the 5-3 victory for the Sting.

Goalie John Chartrand was stellar in the Sting net making many key saves and claiming the win for the Sting.

It was a great team effort and nice to get back in the win column against the top squad in the league.

The boys prepare to battle the Kitchener Rangers twice next weekend and look to keep the momentum building towards the playoffs.
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