Blades winning steak ends at five games

The Blenheim Blades five game Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs
Division winning steak ended Sunday night when the Blades fell to the Essex
’73s 5-2 in a game played at the Blenheim arena.
The Blades, who are still trying to lock down a third-place finish, remain 11
points up on the fourth-place Wheatley Sharks with 56 points to Wheatley’s 45.
Wheatley will be home Wednesday night to face the second-place Lakeshore
Canadiens, with the Blades next action Saturday in Mooretown against the fifth-
place Flags at 7:30. Saturday will be the Blades first ever Moms Night with
players moms invited to ride the bus to Mooretown.
The Sharks, counting Wednesday, still have seven games to play, while the
Blades have three including one Feb. 18 at home against the Sharks.
The teams played to a 1-1 first period draw Sunday with Luke Milosevic
scoring for Essex, and Brad McAlpine netting a powerplay tally for the Blades
with assists going to Tate Bowden and Zach Van Boxtel.
The goal was McAlpine’s 16th of the season.
Blenheim took a 2-1 lead at 16:18 old the second period when Joey Hayer
scored his 11th, with Bowden and Breck Rainey assisting, but that lead last only
18 seconds with the ’73s Connor Dembinski tying things at 2-2 at 16:38.
Cael McCabe put Essex ahead 3-2 early in the third period, then he made it 4-2
at 17:41.
Jayden Sequin ended the Blades hope of a comeback with an empty net
marker with 44 seconds to play.
BLADES BITS: Monday night the Blades Alumni will host a sold out steak night
at the Blenheim Legion…Blades captain Craig Spence, the Stobbs Division
leading point getter with 71, was held off the scoresheet Sunday, however
Bowden’s two assists gives him 64 points on the season, and sole possession of
third place in the division…The Blades were once again missing several players
due to illness or injuries…Not dressed were Darby Lemieux, Will McCracken,
Matt Hayter, Ayden McKinlay, Ethan Chittle, Justin Ewald and Beau
Moison…Sunday was Blenheim Blast Night with members of the Blenheim Blast
swim team, along with coaches, getting in for free…Essex outshot the Blades 45-

39…The two teams played six times this season with Essex winning four of the
games, the Blades one, and one ending in a tie…Owen Lemieux was in net for
the Blades…The Blades Alumni and South Kent Wind were the tice time
sponsors…Attendance was 444.