Viper’s PK Net 2 Goals in a Dominant Win Over Sarnia
By Damon Proctor – October 19th, 2023
LaSalle, ON
Coming off a tough loss to Chatham on Sunday, the boys were back in action last night against Sarnia at home. Tre Altiman got his 9th start of the season in between the pipes, coming in with a 0.931 save percentage. The Vipers had a tough start to the game, as the Legionnaires scored just over two minutes into the game. Sarnia did not hold the momentum for long, as minutes later they would take a holding penalty, giving LaSalle the first man advantage of the game. From there, the Vipers would fire shot after shot, displaying relentless efforts on offense. Despite controlling the O-Zone for the rest of the period, LaSalle could not find the back of the net. The shots after twenty minutes were 22-7 in favor of the home team, and the Vipers knew they were due for a goal soon.
After the intermission, LaSalle would continue their tenacious efforts in the offensive zone, creating chance after chance. Sarnia goalie Logan Philips stood tall, however the boys in white knew he couldn’t hold up forever. Midway through the frame, Ryan Clark layed out a huge hip check and really got the crowd into it. Eventually, the suspense and anticipation was finally put to an end. Stefan Djordjevic would join the rush with Greene and Manzo, and #92 would absolutely bury it from the top of the slot, knotting the game up at 1. From there on, LaSalle continued the all gas mentality on offense. They would pot another goal thanks to Adrian Manzo, this time on the power play. The Vipers headed into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead in goals and 41-17 lead in shots.
Everything was looking good for LaSalle heading into the last frame. All they needed was an insurance goal or two and they could close the curtains on the Legionnaires. The Vipers had been nearly perfect, staying out of the box, with only one penalty in the first. However they would collect a couple minor penalties early in the third period which only raised concern for a moment. The PK unit looked phenomenal, limiting Sarnia’s time to set up and applying great pressure in the offensive zone. Connor Tucker managed to pressure Philips behind the net, and after a Sarnia giveaway, Kyle Greene would pick up the loose puck and bury a shorthanded goal to make it 3-1! Just when we thought one shorthanded goal was great, the same PK line with Tucker and Greene would score another one just thirty seconds later! The PK unit seemed unstoppable, and with a 4-1 lead, this game was in the bag. LaSalle’s penalty kill finished the night 6/6, backed by 28 saves from Altiman. A big 4-1 for the hometown boys, with the shot in favor of the Vipers 51-29.
The Vipers are back in action tomorrow night at 7:30pm in St.Thomas. Go Vipers!
