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Jr. B hockey wrap-up - February 18, 2019

The London Nationals pulled within one point of first-place after an 8-2 over the LaSalle Vipers on Family Day Monday at the Western Fair Centre.

The Nationals now have 67 points and are in second-place in the GOJHL Western Conference standings, just one point behind the Leamington Flyers, who lost Monday afternoon. The Vipers currently have 48 points and the fifth playoff seed. Both teams have two regular-season contests to go.

The first period was a seesaw affair with teams scoring back-and-forth. Brett Vorshuk started things off for the Vipers at 1:21. Riley MacRae later scored his first of the game to even things up at 1-1. Colton Krzeminski's goal briefly gave the Vipers the lead, but that's the last time they'd be ahead in the game. Zach Sheedy evened the game again at 2-2 before the first period concluded.

It was all London after that. Cal Davis scored two goals in the second period, which sandwiched one by teammate Kyle Dawson for a 5-2 Nationals lead after 40 minutes. London then scored three more in the third period, off the sticks of George Diaco, MacRae and Bryce Kilbourne.

Zachary Springer faced 28 shots in goal for London and stopped 26 of them. Will Tragge had 21 saves for LaSalle.

The Vipers take on the Komoka Kings Wednesday night in their regular-season home finale. London hosts St. Thomas on Wednesday as well.

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Russell Oldham and Sean McGurn each scored twice in the St. Thomas Stars' 6-3 victory over the first-place Leamington Flyers at the Joe Thornton Centre.

St. Thomas is at the moment with 39 points and the seventh playoff seed.

Leamington scored first at 2:54 of the opening period when Johnny Ulicny lit the lamp. Brayden Smith tied the game for the Stars just 50 ticks later and McGurn scored his first of the game for a 2-1 St. Thomas lead after one.

Liam Fedak extended the Stars' lead to 3-1 with the only goal scored in the second frame. Leamington fought back with two goals scored before the four-minute mark of the third period, from Ryan Gagnier and Wyatt O'Neil, to tie the game at three-all. The Stars, though, put in three to seal the game. The first two were back-to-back goals by Oldham, the third McGurn's second of the contest.

Anthony Hurtubise stopped 26 shots in goal for St. Thomas. Ryan Polidori had 23 saves in the loss for Leamington.

The Flyers play their regular-season home finale on Thursday when they host the Chatham Maroons.

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Six Komoka Kings scored two points in their 6-3 home win over the Strathroy Rockets.

The Kings are in sixth place with 43 points, while Strathroy has the eighth position and 37 points.

Joe Capirchio scored first for Komoka at 4:56 of the opening period, then Brendan Mairs tied it for the Rockets near the halfway point of the frame. The Kings took a 2-1 first-intermission lead with a goal by Cameron Welch.

Ryan McAllister extended the Komoka lead with a goal at 5:39 in the second frame, but 11 seconds later Strathroy got that goal back thanks to a lamplighter by Brendan Speziale. Carson Pierce's goal at exactly halfway through the period put the Kings up 4-2.

Mairs scored his second goal of the game in the third period for the Rockets, but Komoka added two more from Griffin St. Onge and Jacob Rochford.

Nathan Young took the win in net for Komoka with 20 saves out of 23 tries. Vince Michelizzi stopped 29 shots in the loss for Strathroy.

Strathroy heads to St. Marys on Friday night to face the Lincolns.

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Mason Goldie put up a hat trick as the St. Marys Lincolns beat the visiting Sarnia Legionnaires 6-3.

The Legionnaires are in the fourth playoff seed with 51 points. The Lincolns have 28 points and have been eliminated from playoff contention.

The Lincolns scored two goals in the first period. The first was from Tanner Hertel at 13:15, then Goldie scored his first goal 19 seconds later. Sarnia got on the board in the second period when Isaac McLean put the puck in.

Sarnia tied the game at 2-2 early in the third stanza on a Nolan DeGurse score, but the Lincolns broke the tie on a Joe Mazur tally. Joseph Ferrara evened things up for the Legionnaires at 8:17, but it was all St. Marys afterwards. Goldie scored his second goal on a penalty shot, then followed up at 19:23 to complete the hat trick. Mazur scored a second goal before the end of the game.

Kyle Curtin had 44 saves between the pipes for St. Marys. Jakob Knowles stopped 28 shots for the Legionnaires.

Sarnia plays its regular-season home finale Thursday against LaSalle.

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