The LaSalle Vipers extended their GOJHL Western Conference lead with a 3-2 win over the London Nationals at the Vollmer Complex Sunday afternoon.
The Vipers strengthened their standings lead at 67 points, while the Nationals stood pat at 59 points and in second place with about a month to go in the Junior B regular season.
Liam MacDougall had three assists for the Vipers, who got off to a quick lead with two goals in the first period. Tyler Russell scored at 1:41 on the power play and Brett Banwell doubled the LaSalle lead with 18 seconds left in the frame.
Brenden Trottier scored for London at 4:28 in the second period to cut the Vipers lead in half but Dede Cato got that goal back for LaSalle at 9:13. Richard Whittaker scored London's second goal at exactly three minutes left in the period. There was no further scoring, but each team had one power play chance in the third period.
Both teams are back in action Wednesday night. LaSalle hosts Strathroy while the Nationals welcome the Sarnia Legionnaries.
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Connor Rosaasen scored twice as the Lakeshore Canadiens beat the Amherstburg Integrity Admirals 6-2 at the Libro Centre.
With that the Canadiens clinch the regular season title in the PJHL Stobbs Division and hold the first seed in the PJHL playoffs. Their first opponent will be the Petrolia Flyers. The official bracket is due out Monday.
The scoring was started by the Admirals, when Luke Gangnon scored at 3:24 in the first period. After that it was all Lakeshore, as the Canadiens scored four straight goals in the period to put the game out of reach early. J.J. Percy tied the game at 3:39. Connor Rosaasen gave Lakeshore the lead for good with his first goal of the game, at 9:10. Colin Sartor got the insurance goal just 17 seconds later and Rosaasen scored again before the end of the period.
It took just nine seconds into the second period for Amherstburg to get one goal back when Kasey Basile found the net. Lakeshore scored two additional goals in the second, from Nick Tavolieri-Essex and Ameen Fadel. The second period was also a wild one, as the Admirals' Ryan Alexander and Cory Burns each received game misconducts, and the Canadiens' Luke Mahon got an early shower as the result of a misconduct for fighting.
The Admirals will face either Wheatley or Mooretown in the first round of the playoffs, pending the result of the Sharks' regular season finale Tuesday night against the Essex 73s.
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Brayden Hopkins had a goal and two assists as the Blenheim Blades beat the visiting Petrolia Flyers 7-4 in their regular season finale Sunday.
The Blades will next take on the Dresden Kings in the first round of the PJHL playoffs with Game 1 set for Thursday.
Petrolia's Jack Hackett had the lone goal in the first period. Blenheim then scored three unanswered goals to start the second period. Matt Clark tied it up at 2:47, Keir Cumming's goal at 6:17 gave the Blades the lead, and Nick Delyzer scored the first of two goals at 10:31. Petrolia responded with three goals of its own before the end of the second frame, coming in order off the sticks of Kirklin Dorman, Zach VanEyk and Kole Keating.
The Flyers had a 4-3 lead at the start of the third period, but it evaporated thanks to four consecutive Blades goals. Bryce Broad had the equalizer at 2:08. Delyzer had his second goal of the night at 7:02, and it gave the Blades the lead for good. Austin Bentley and Hopkins scored the remaining goals for Blenheim.