Blades explode early, defeat Amherstburg 5-3

AMHERSTBURG – The Blenheim Blades took a 4-0 first period lead Saturday night in Amherstburg enroute to a 5-3 PJHL Stobbs Division victory over the host Amherstburg Admirals.

   The win moves the Blades back into second place with 20 points, two up on the Lakeshore Canadiens and the Wheatley Sharks. The Blades now have 10 wins and three defeats, and will look to increase their win total Sunday when the Sharks come to Blenheim for a 7 p.m. game.

   Wednesday the Blades will be in Wheatley at 7:30, Lakeshore Friday at 7, and home Sunday to the first place Essex ’73s.

    Blenheim took a 1-0 first period lead Saturday thanks to Tate Bowden’s 11 goal of the year at 10:20, made it 2-0 at 14:11 when Craig Spence netted his seventh, 3-0 at 15:15 when Bowden scored again, and then wrapped up the period scoring thanks to Joe Hayter’s second of the season at 19:42.

    All four goals came with the two teams at even strength.

    Newcomer Ethan Chittle, playing his first game since being obtained Friday from the Wheatley Sharks, had two assists in the period, with Justin Ewald, Brad McAlpine, Matt Hayter and Ryan Sanders helping out with one each.

     The Blades fifth goal was an unassisted empty netter by defenceman Alec Webster at 19:07 of the third period. It was defenceman Webster’s second of the season.

    The Admirals got back in the game when Dallas Kelly scored in the second period and Jeremy Desbiens early in the third. The final Amherstburg goal went to Maxton Evans with just four second left in the game.

   Owen Lemieux was in net for the Blades picking up his fifth victory stopping 23 of 26 Amherstburg shots, while his teammates managed just 22 on the Admirals netminder Josh Courtney.

   BLADES BITS: Earlier in the day Blades rookie forward Everitt Swayze played in one of two PJHL Prospects games in Wingham, and netted a goal for Team West in their 4-2 loss to Team North…Swayze was back in time to suit up for the game against Amherstburg…Not dressed for the Blades were forward Darby Lemieux and defenceman Remi Steen…The contest was a tame affair with just four minor penalties being called, three of them to Blenheim…In other Saturday action Lakeshore beat the Mooretown Flags 5-2…Bowden was named the game’s first star, Kelly the second and Spence the third…Attendance was 226.