Late powerplay goal gives Blades 2-1 win over Dresden Sunday.

The two teams
tied 4-4 Friday
After not playing a hockey game since February of 2020 due to COVID-19, the
Blades finally got back on the ice with a pair of exhibition contests over the
weekend against their biggest rival – the Dresden Kings.
Sunday the Blades got a powerplay goal at 19:00 of the third period from rookie
Tyler Ewald to edge the Kings 2-1, after the teams played to a 4-4 tie Friday night
at the Thames Campus Arena in Chatham.
Veteran Blade Seth Henderson assisted on the game winning goal.
The Blades were awarded the powerplay at 18:32 of the third period when
Dresden’s Breck Rainey was given a two-minute minor penalty for goaltender
interference.

Veteran Ben Barnard had given the Blades a 1-0 first-period lead when he
scored with assists going to veteran Connor Wright and rookie Alex Webster.
Jackson Arcand netted the Kings long goal, a powerplay marker at 17:25 of the
second period.

The Blades had 30 shots on goal and Dresden 28.
Rookies Sean Roberts and Jake Van Coillie split time in the Blenheim net.
In Friday’s tie the Kings got on the scoreboard first with the game only 1:48 old
thanks to a Notah Hopkins tally.

Jared Deleay evened things at 2:59 and Alex Webster put the Blades up 2-1
when he scored at 13:25.

Sam Warriner, son of ex-NHLer and former Blades assistant coach Todd
Warriner, made it 3-1 Blenheim at 15:03 of the middle 20 minutes, with Jonny
Vanek, brother of former Blade Michael Vanek, cutting the gap to 3-2 with a
shorthanded score at 17:18.

Wright put the Blades ahead by two again when he scored at 19:08.

Dresden had both goals in the third period, which was cut short by five minutes
because of arena curfew.
Jackson Arcand scored at 1:17 and Vanek netted his second to wrap up the
scoring at 6:05.

Rookies Jake Van Coillie and Sean Roberts split the game in net for the Blades.

BLADES BITS: The Blades still have five exhibition games to go before opening
their Provincial Junior Hockey League Stobbs Division 32-game season Friday, Oct.
1 against the Kings either at Thames Campus Arena or The Ken Houston Memorial
Arena in Dresden…The location will be announced at a later date…The Blades
home opener will be Sunday, Oct. 3 against the Petrolia Flyers at 7…Wednesday
the Blades will be in Wheatley to play the Sharks at 7:30 in their third exhibition
contest before going to Parkhill to play North Middlesex of the Yeck Division
Saturday at 7:30, with North Middlesex here in Blenheim Sunday at 7…On
Wednesday, Sept. 22 the Blades travel to Wallaceburg to meet the Thunderhawks
at 7:30, with Wallaceburg here in Blenheim Sunday, Sept. 26 at 7…The lost
Warriner to an elbow injury in the second period…Attendance was 150 according
to Chatham-Kent COVID rules.