The LaSalle Vipers split their two games this week, dropping a home game on Wednesday but then rebounding with a comeback victory on Saturday night.
This past Wednesday night in LaSalle, the Vipers fell victim to an aggressive and physical St. Marys Lincolns team. Leading 2-1 going into the third period, the visiting Lincolns scored twice in the final frame, including the game-winner with under three minutes remaining in regulation to hand the first-place Vipers their first regulation home loss this season. Defenseman Spencer Lecot scored his third goal of the season, while rookie forward Jack Greenwell notched his first career goal in the defeat.
Hoping to avoid their first losing streak of the year, the Vipers travelled to Strathroy for the third meeting of the season with the Rockets on Saturday night. Trailing by a goal on three separate occasions, the Vipers were in comeback mode much of the night. Down a goal in the third, rookie defenseman Owen Findlay scored his first career goal on a screened point shot to tie the game at 3-3 midway through the final frame. With the game seemingly surely headed to overtime, Jack Greenwell found himself on a two-on-one in the final minute of regulation, and the speedy rookie forward buried a shot over the glove of the Strathroy netminder for the unlikely game-winner with 26 seconds left on the clock.
Greenwell was the lone Viper with a multi-point game in the victory, while Findlay was joined by first-year forward Gabe Barrette who also tallied his first junior goal. Matthew Tovell, as he has been all season, was stellar in net making 37 saves for his sixth win. He came up particularly big throughout the third period to keep the Vipers within a goal and allow them to push for the equalizer.
With two games remaining in a busy October, the Vipers will close out the month with a home game against the Komoka Kings on Wednesday night, and then will make a trip to St. Marys for the rematch with the Lincolns on Friday.
