Brett Neumann's hat trick helped the Kingston Frontenacs upset the Sarnia Sting in the 21st annual Teddy Bear toss game Saturday afternoon.
Kingston pulled away late in the third period for a 7-5 win before 4,267 enthusiastic fans at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
Jamieson Rees scored the Sting's first goal which brought 3,910 stuffed animals raining down onto the ice to benefit the Salvation Army.
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It was a case of back-and-forth throughout the first period. Kingston cracked the scoreboard first at 2:40 gone in the opening period, when Matt Hotchkiss scored his sixth goal of the year. About a minute and a half later, Rees tied the game for the Sting, with the 2018 Teddy Bear Toss goal. Once the stuffed toys were collected and the counting began, play resumed and the Frontenacs regained the lead with Neumann's first score of the game, only to have Ryan McGregor tie the game at two-all on a power play goal.
The scoring seesaw continued in the second period. Ryan Cranford put the Frontenacs ahead again 3-2 at 5:33, though the Sting scored back-to-back goals to get their first lead of the contest. Curtis Egert banged home the equalizer at 11:20, then Nolan Burke scored his first OHL goal 59 seconds later for a 4-3 Sarnia lead. That lead would not last long though, as Kingston tied the game again at the 13-minute mark with Jakob Brahaney's goal. The Frontenacs took a 5-4 lead into the second intermission on Neumann's second goal of the game on a fine finish on a penalty shot.
Jacob Perreault extended his OHL-leading rookie goal count to 14 when he tied the game up at five-all at 1:53 in the third period. Kingston took the lead for good with Cranford's second goal of the contest. Neumann then completed the hat trick for the Frontenacs.
Blair Coffin stopped 22 shots in goal for the Sting. Ryan Dugas had 21 saves for Kingston.
Sarnia is in third place in the OHL West Division with 32 points, one behind the Saginaw Spirit and one ahead of the Windsor Spitfires, whom the Sting swept this week in a home-and-away series.
Sarnia is off until Wednesday night when they host the London Knights.
Listen to all the action on 103.9 FM, 1070 AM, CHOK.
