The last time the Vipers visited the West Middlesex Memorial Centre, they left with a 5-1 loss but this time, they made sure to fight hard and defeat the home team.
Luke St.John wasted no time getting the Vipers on the board, scoring just 1:57 into the game. Despite taking two penalties in the opening frame, including a 10-minute misconduct to Grady Spicer, the Vipers penalty kill worked hard. Their presence paid off late when Connor Chartrand scored at 19:50 to send LaSalle into the intermission up 2-0.
The Vipers carried their early-period magic into the second when Nic Rosati extended the lead just 1:58 in. Strathroy capitalized later in the period, breaking the shutout with a goal at 14:27. LaSalle closed the frame shorthanded with Brody Jones in the box but still held the lead heading into the third.
The final period was a back-and-forth battle. Ian Inskip buried the eventual game winner at 8:14 to give the Vipers a 4-1 lead. The Rockets pushed back with a goal at 11:34, but LaSalle responded quickly when Adriano Tonin scored at 1317. Strathroy answered just 25 seconds later, tightening the score to 5-3 before Matteo Villardi sealed the victory with an empty netter late in the game.
The Vipers now return home to host the Chatham Maroons after two weeks without a Wednesday night game.
Article: Emma Cicovacki
Photo: Isabella Ruccolo
