The Blenheim Blades, in a penalty filled game, defeated the Mooretown Flags 5-4 in Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division play Sunday night before 345 fans the Blenheim Memorial Arena.
The win, the Blades fifth in 10 starts, moved them into a tie for third place in the eight-team division with the Wheatley Sharks. Both teams have 10 points, two up on the Flags and the Amherstburg Admirals.
Next action for Blenheim will be Saturday when they travel to Amherstburg for a 7 p.m. game against the Admirals before returning home Sunday for the first meeting of the season with the Sharks Sunday at 7.
As mentioned it was a continuous parade to the penalty box with Blenheim being assessed 16 penalties, including three misconducts, and Mooretown 12 with three being misconducts.
The Flags took a 1-0 first period lead at 5:34 thanks to a powerplay goal by Brody Genyn.
The Blades then scored three straight times, with Connor Wright getting the first one at 8:34, followed by a powerplay tally by Alec Webster at 11:22, and an even strength score by Zach Van Boxtel at 14:57.
Wright’s score was his third of the year, with Webster netting his fourth and Van Boxtel his sixth.
Blades veteran Tate Bowden, who had a four-point night, made it 4-1 with his fifth of the year at 9:33 of the second period.
Mooretown then cut the Blenheim lead to 4-3 with a pair of powerplay scored in the third 20 minutes – the first by Logan Gardner at 5:34, and the second by Jace Dupuis at 12:13.
Bowden’s second of the night put the Blades up 5-3 at 12:49, with Dupuis making it close with a powerplay tally with 31 seconds to play.
On the night the Flags were four for 11 on the powerplay and the Blades one for six.
BLADES BITS: Jake Vancoillie was in net for Blenheim and picked up his third victory of the year…The Blades outshot Mooretown 42-33…Besides his two goals Bowden picked up two assists for a four-point night…Other assists for the Blades went to Austin Drew and Ben Barnard with two each, and Evan Wells, Webster, Noah Prudhomme and Darby Lemieux with one apiece…Bowden and Drew now have 18 points each on six goals and 12 assists, and share the points lead in the Stobbs Division…Not dressed for the Blades were defenceman Alex Edwards and forward Ryan Sanders…The three stars were Bowden, Webster and Dupuis…The Blades ice sponsor was Kent County Bailiffs Services.