Ewald’s hat trick gives Blades 3-0 series lead

Rookie Justin Ewald scored three times to lead the Blenheim Blades to a 6-2
PJHL Stobbs Division quarter-final series playoff victory over the Amherstburg
Admirals Sunday night at the Blenheim arena.
The Blades are now one win away from advancing to the semi-final, and a
likely match up with the Essex ’73s, as Essex has a 3-0 lead on the Dresden Kings
with Game 4 Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. in Dresden.
Tuesday the Blades will be looking to wrap their series up when they travel of
Amherstburg for a 7:30 game. Should a Game 5 be needed it will be Thursday at
7 p.m. at the Blenheim arena.
Ewald now has five goals in the series, with Joey Hayter, Gavin Meriano and
Matt Hayter netting one each. Joey Hayter’s goal was his third in the series,
while Matt Hayter and Meriano each scored their first.
Matt Hayter also had two assists along with Craig Spence, with single helpers
going to Ayden McKinlay, Brad McAlpine, Darby Lemieux, Everitt Swayze and
Meriano.
Mitchell Demelo, playing his first game after sitting out 13 with a lengthy
suspension, scored both Admirals’ goals.
Blenheim went up 3-0 in the first period before Amherstburg got on the
board thanks to Demelo’s first goal.
Demelo then made it 3-2 on a powerplay early in the second 20 minutes, but
from then on it was all Blenheim, with two of the goals – Ewald’s third and Matt
Hayter’s – coming on the powerplay.
Jake Vancoillie was in net for the Blades and faced 40 shots, while his
teammates fired the same number on two Amherstburg goalies – Josh Courtny
and Joe Costea.

BLADES BITS: The Blades have now drawn 10,331 fans this season…Not
dressed for the Blades were Will McCraken, Remi Steen, Nick Cameron, Ethan
Chittle and Landon Hoskins…The game saw plenty of penalties with the Blades
taking eight minors and one misconduct, and the Admirals six minors…Ewald
was named the first star of the game, Meriano the second and Vancoillie the
third…In other playoff game played Sunday night the Lakeshore Canadiens

moved to the semi-finals against either the Wheatley Sharks or the Mooretown
Flags by sweeping their series in four games with the Walpole Island Wild…
Wheatley holds a 2-0 edge over Mooretown with that series resuming Monday
night in Wheatley at 7:30…Sunday’s ice time sponsor was the Blenheim News
Tribune/Blenheim Publishers…Attendance was 557.