Blades end losing streak, beat Sharks 2-1

Whew, thankfully the losing streak has ended at six games.

  Sunday night before 475 fans the Blenheim Blades beat the Wheatley Sharks 2-1 in Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division play at the Blenheim Memorial Arena.

  The victory was the first in seven games for the Blades, who had lost five of the six by one goal, including two in overtime. The club’s last victory was a 6-5 overtime home win Sunday, Dec. 18 over the Wallaceburg Thunderhawks.

  The Blades remain in fourth place with 38 points, four behind the third-place Sharks, and seven up on the fifth-place Mooretown Flags. The Blades have played 33 games, the Sharks 31 and the Flags just 29.

  Next action for Blenheim will be Saturday in Mooretown against the Flags at 7:30 p.m. before returning home next Sunday to host the Wallaceburg Thunderhawks at 7.

  Blades assistant captain Tate Bowden opened the scoring with just 2:50 gone in the first period. The goal was Bowden’s team-leading 17th, and was set up by Austin Drew and Ethan Waddick.

  The score stayed at 1-0 until 8:44 of the second period when Evan Wells scored on a penalty shot for the Blades. The goal was his fourth of the year.

  Wheatley cut the Blenheim lead in half at 12:03 of the middle 20 minutes when Jaydon Ferguson netted the lone goal of the night for the Sharks.

   BLADES BITS: Prior to the game Blenheim’s Abby Stonehouse, who with her Team Canada teammates, won a gold medal last Sunday in Sweden at the 2023 IIHF Women’s Under 18 World Hockey Tournament, was on hand to drop a ceremonial puck before the official puck drop…Not dressed for the game for the Blades were defencemen Craig Spence, Noah Prudhomme and Ben Brooks…Jake Vancoillie was in net for Blenheim and recorded the win…His backup was Devin Graham of Glencoe…The Sharks outshot the Blades 40-35…The Blenheim Blades Alumni Association will be hosting their first “Steak Night” since 2019 because of the Covid pandemic on Monday, Jan. 30 at the Blenheim Legion…Tickets are $20 each, and are available at Blades home games through Jan. 29… Sunday was Chatham Cobras Minor Hockey Night and all Crush players wearing their jerseys were admitted for free.