Shorthanded Blades come up big, beat Sharks 7-4

WHEATLEY – The Blenheim Blades headed to Wheatley to play the
Sharks Wednesday night short six regulars because of injuries, fell
behind 2-1, 3-1 and 4-2 by the 12:40 mark of the second period before
rallying with three goals in the last three and a half minutes of the
period, and then added two more in the final 20 minutes for a key 7-4
victory.

The win moves the Blades back into third place in the PJHL Stobbs
Division with 33 points, one up on the now fourth-place Sharks, who
have played one less game.

Friday night Blenheim will be in Belle River for a 7 p.m. game against
the second-place Lakeshore Canadiens. There will be no Sunday home
game, with Blenheim hitting the road to Walpole Island next Thursday
to tangle with the Wild at 8 p.m. before returning home Sunday, Dec.
17 to host the Canadiens at 7 p.m.

Rookies Everitt Swayze and Gavin Meriano led the comeback for
Blenheim scoring two goals each. Swayze now has three on the year
and Meriano seven.

Meriano’s first tally came with one second left in the second period.
Craig Spence, the Stobbs Divisions leading point getter, now has 19
goals and 31 assists for 50 points.

Brad McAlpine and Joey Hayter netted the other Blades goals. For
McAlpine it was his 11th, while Hayter now has seven.
Spence led the way in the assists department setting up four goals,
Swayze added three helpers, while Justin Ewald had two, and Tate
Bowden, Jack Lewis, Andrew Goulet and McAlpine one each.
Josh Chauvin, Braydin Metcalfe, Kyle Bleau and Issac Legood scored
for the Sharks.

BLADES BITS: Spence has now scored 12 goals and picked up 22
assists for 34 points in his last nine games…Bowden is second in the
division in points with 43…The next closet Stobbs Division player is
Essex captain Gabe Piccolo with 38…Not dressed for Blenheim were
forwards Darby Lemieux, Zach Van Boxtel and Beau Moison, as well as
defencemen Matt Hayter, Owen Reeve and Remi Steel…It is unclear if
any of the six will be ready to go Friday against Lakeshore…Owen
Lemieux was in goal for the Blades and faced 37 shots, while his
teammates fired 40 at Wheatley goalie Ethan Handley…Lemieux now
has nine wins, three losses and a 3.09 goals against
average…Blenheim was called for five minor penalties and Wheatley
three…Swayze was named the game’s first star, Spence the second,
and Metcalfe the third…Attendance was 301.