In front of a packed house on Sunday afternoon for the GOHL Spotlight Game, the LaSalle Vipers delivered exactly the kind of performance fans were hoping for, a dominant 7-2 win over the Strathroy Rockets to officially punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Josh Lepain opened the scoring just 33 seconds into the game. Less than a minute later, Max Brocklehurst doubled the lead at 1:24, giving LaSalle the momentum they needed. Strathroy responded at 5:19 to cut the lead to one, but the Vipers answered 24 seconds later. Grady Spicer buried what would be the game-winner at 5:43, restoring the two-goal cushion and sending LaSalle into intermission with control.
Kieran McNally found the back of the net only 29 seconds into the second period, extending the lead and further sealing the game. Brocklehurst added his second of the afternoon at 15:40, showcasing a strong offensive performance in one of the team’s biggest games of the season.
Strathroy capitalized during a Grady Spicer interference penalty at 4:35, but those two goals were all they could generate. After the Rockets were sent to the box at 14:34 in the third period, Shawn Costello scored on the power play for his first of the afternoon within the final five minutes, then struck again at 19:27 to cap off the Vipers scoring.
With the win, the Vipers officially clinched their spot in the postseason. Now, the focus shifts to finishing the regular season with their final two games: Wednesday at home against Listowel and Thursday on the road in Sarnia.
Article: Emma Cicovacki
Photo: Isabella Ruccolo
