Wells, Vancoillie star as Blades blank Kings 4-0

DRESDEN – A veteran forward (Evan Wells) and a 16-year-old goalie
(Jake Vancoillie) were all the Blenheim Blades needed Wednesday
night to blank the Dresden Kings 4-0 in a Provincial Junior Hockey
League Stobbs Division game at the Ken Houston Memorial Arena in
Dresden.
The win evens the fifth-place Blades record at 11-11-0-0 good for 22
points, one behind the fourth-place Amherstburg Admirals and three
up on the sixth-place Wheatley Sharks.
Blenheim and Amherstburg have each played 22 games and
Wheatley 21.
The Blades have finished their four-game set with Amherstburg and
have one left with Wheatley – Sunday, Jan. 23 in Blenheim.
Next action for the Blades will be Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Blenheim
Memorial Arena when the second-place Essex 73’s come to town for
the first time this season.
Wells led the way in scoring for the Blades Wednesday with two
unassisted goals and an assist. The former Chatham Maroon now has
seven tallies since joining the Blades 12 games ago.
Trent Amaro, who was back in the lineup after missing several
games due to an injury, had a powerplay goal. It was his fifth of the
season, with Zack Van Boxtel netting the other, a shorthanded
unassisted score in the second period.
Van Boxtel now has four tallies of the season.
Connor Wright picked up an assist on Amaro’s goal.
The shutout was the second of the year for the rookie netminder
who now has six wins and five losses in his 11 games, and an
impressive 2.65 goals-against average.

BLADES BITS: Blenheim outshot the Kings 20-2 in the first period
and 41-23 overall…The Blades had two goals called back, and hit
several posts and a crossbar…For the month of December the Blades
won four and lost three and have now won three of their last four
contests…Of the Blades 10 remaining games six are at home…Not
dressed for the Blades were defenseman Colton Shoemaker and
forwards Ian Campbell and Connor Roth.