Your London Blue Devils go to 3 & 2 on the season with a win over the Pacers.

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Game Summary

By : Mike McKegney

London Blue Devils vs. Sarnia Pacers: May 9^th, 2012

On May 9^th, the Sarnia Pacers came to Nichols arena with high hopes of knocking the London Blue Devils down a peg or two with a strong victory on the road. The Blue Devils had an agenda of their own on this night though, one which involved ripping the visiting team apart on offense, on defense, and in their minds. London’s most recent victory came over the very challenging St. Catherines Spartans in an overtime thriller just three days prior to this match-up between division rivals. With a victory still fresh in their minds, and the winning edge on the tip of their sticks, London was determined as ever to improve to 3-2 on the season.

            At the shrill of the first whistle, London players had a hop in their step that Sarnia players were unable to handle and unable to match. The Blue Devils dominated all aspects of the game throughout the first period: winning lose ball battles, dominating on defense, making big hits and executing near flawless offense. Daniel Forbes (a mammoth sized returnee to the London Blue Devils after a year in exile) opened the scoring on his first game back just two minutes in with Wati Feliciano and Brendan Chess adding the helpers. Rookie Davis Prince scored five minutes into the match, and Jordan Bennett continued his scoring streak on the power play to make the score 3-0 for London just seven minutes in.

            A Sarnia goal midway through the period brought the Pacers within two goals, but London continued their aggressive play and added their fourth goal of the period just minutes later when Daniel Forbes netted his second of the day.

            It was clear after the first period that these teams have had an aggressive rivalry, as both benches were steaming with anger and frustration. The water boiled on the floor as hard hits and slashes took centre stage, with both teams being penalized often throughout the first. The period ended with London up 4-1.

            The second period played out much the same as the first; the Blue Devils aggressive play overwhelmed the faltering Sarnia players as the hometown dominance continued. Whether even strength or short handed, the Blue Devils controlled the ball and put the ball in the net when the opportunity presented itself.   Jordan Bennett opened the second period scoring with his second of the night just six minutes in, and veteran Brendan Chess netting a short-handed breakaway goal just minutes later. After a nice individual effort by Sarnia’s T.J. Mara which saw the ball end up behind Tyler Glebe, Mackenzie Wilkinson found the net for the first time this year on a short-handed breakaway of his own, putting London up five goals with a score of 7-2.

            More rough play ensued as both teams found the penalty box on multiple occasions. London’s all around consistent performance continued through to the end of the second period though, and Sarnia was only able to score once more on a power play with just over a minute left. The chaotic second period ended with London up 7-3.

            Tempers continued to flare in the third penalty as the play got even rougher. It seemed that years of hard fought battles between these two division teams finally unfolded on the Nichols C pad: slashes, high sticks, trips, roughing and unsportsmanlike penalties were handed out in pairs to both teams.

            Mackenzie Wilkinson netted his second of the year on another breakaway started with a pass from Eric Guiltinan. Chris Willman scored his fourth of the year on a great offensive series by London with Davis Prince and Tyler Diebolt helping on the play. Brendan Chess scored another short-handed goal late in the period to put the Blue Devils up 10-3. A late game goal by Sarnia brought them within six goals, but the overpowering and overwhelming Blue Devils were to much to handle, and the hometown favourites took this important division game with a final score of 10-4, improving their regular season record to 3-2.

            London’s performance tonight against the Sarnia Pacers was a true test of their game-to-game adaptability. The Blue Devils proved to the OJBLL that they are going to be a tough opponent against any team who underestimates their abilities. Pride, effort and determination were in ample supply from every player on the Blue Devils roster, and the team will look to build from this game’s successes and mistakes.

            Player of the game for Sarnia was number 55 Liam Wright, who tallied two goals and an assist on just four Pacers goals. Veteran Brendan Chess earned two short-handed goals and an assist as well as remaining disciplined in one of the most aggressive games of the year and took Player of the game for the London Roster. Notables for London were Mackenzie Wilkinson with two goals, and Eric Guiltinan who added three assists.

                                                            Mike McKegney