The LaSalle Vipers saw their five-game win-streak come to an end in a 3-1 loss to the St. Thomas Stars on Wednesday night in LaSalle.
Playing their final game before the Christmas break, the Vipers came out flat and remained that way for much of the first half of the game, falling behind on two second period goals that came just over a minute apart. The Vipers turned on the pressure following Jackson Dobbin’s tally that put St. Thomas up 2-0 at 8:46 of the middle frame, out-shooting the Stars 21-8 in the second period and then striking quickly in the third on Brody Gillis’ ninth goal of the season. They would get several glorious chances to tie the game in the third, but St. Thomas netminder Wyatt Sloetjes made some outstanding stops to preserve the lead until his team iced it away with an empty-net goal with two minutes left in regulation.
LaSalle out-shot the Stars 53-26 overall but took too long to really get going and it ended up being their demise in the 3-1 defeat.
Gillis scored for his third straight game to extend a personal point-streak to five games where he has five goals and eight points over that span. Tre Altiman took the loss in net and saw his record fall to 10-6 on the season.
The Vipers return to action in the new year when they host the Strathroy Rockets on January 4 at the Vollmer Complex.
