Flyers beat Vipers on OT penalty shot

By C. Scott Holland

The two local Jr. B teams who engaged in what has been dubbed the “Super Series” took to the ice here in Leamington for game three on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s contest — the last for some time at the Nature Fresh Complex — was another close affair and much like the previous one, which headed to overtime before it was decided.

The Flyers out-shot the Vipers 36-24 in the spirited contest, which featured plenty of fabulous goaltending, strong defensive plays and great offense.

Speed, agility and finesse are all important elements in the new game without body contact and both the Vipers and Flyers showed how well they have adapted.

Vipers’ starter Matthew Sbrocca halted 14 of 15 Flyers’ shots while Chazz Nixon made a minimal number of saves in his half-game stint, allowing only one tally.

LaSalle Vipers put on pressure in the Leamington Flyers zone during the third period of game one of what was supposed to be an eight-game series. The series was aborted after three games due to new COVID-19 restrictions prohibiting games and practices within Windsor-Essex.

Sun photo

Late in the opening frame, the Vipers took a 1-0 lead with a goal that just eluded Nixon during the final minute of the period. However, the Flyers evened the score at 6:16 of the second period when Darby Lemieux and Kale Couvillon hooked up with Tanner Flood, who ripped a shot from the right point that knotted the game.

The two teams switched goalies at the midway point as LaSalle’s Kyle Metson and Leamington’s Ryan Polidori both got between the pipes. Metson stopped 22 of 24 pucks that headed his way and Polidori blocked 14 of 15.

Tied at 1-1 in the third, Lemieux gave Wyatt O’Neil a good chance on net, but it was captain Dylan Weston who plucked a rebound and fired it into an open side to spot the Flyers a 2-1 lead.

In the final two minutes, while on a powerplay, the Vipers’ Spencer Lecot managed to drill the puck past Polidori to keep the score even and send it to the five minute, three-on-three overtime.

With 23 seconds left, Flyers player Alex Cunningham was hauled down and awarded a penalty shot. Cunningham made no mistake as he ripped a low shot that squirted under Metson and found the back of the net to win the contest.

It is uncertain when any type of play will return or even if a season of any kind will be played but if things go well January 15 is the date the GOJHL is currently hoping to start.