Chatham Maroons forward Dane Johnstone. January 2019. (Photo by Matt Weverink)Chatham Maroons forward Dane Johnstone. January 2019. (Photo by Matt Weverink)
Chatham

Johnstone, Maroons crown Kings 6-4

Dane Johnstone scored a hat trick as the Chatham Maroons beat the Kings 6-4 Saturday night in Komoka.

Chatham overcame a big hole in the first frame and did not fall behind again. They now have 53 points in the GOJHL Western Conference and are in third place. The Kings are in sixth place and have 39 points.

Komoka got off to a quick start with three unanswered goals in the first period, scored within two minutes. Spencer Lapointe scored short-handed for the first goal at 5:21, Blake McConnell-Barker made it 2-0 Kings just over a minute later, and Joel Mazzilli almost immediately extended the score to 3-0 Komoka. Maroons goalie Tiago Rocha was pulled for backup Tristan Lewis.

Chatham's sticks came alive in the middle period as they scored four straight times to wipe out the deficit and take a 4-3 second-intermission lead. Sean O'Brien scored with a man down at 4:13 to put the Maroons on the scoreboard, then Brett Fisher scored shorthanded himself roughly a minute-and-a-half later. Johnstone then scored the tying and go-ahead goals, with the latter coming at just two seconds before the horn ending the second frame.

Kurt Watson's goal at 5:41 in the third period for Komoka tied the game at 4-4, but Chatham scored twice to put the game away for good. Johnstone completed the hat trick at 11:20 and Nolan Gardiner picked up the insurance goal five seconds before the end of regulation.

Rocha and Lewis combined for 23 saves in goal for the Maroons. Nathan Young saved 19 pucks in net for the Kings.

The Maroons return to Memorial Arena Sunday afternoon to face the Leamington Flyers.

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