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Canadian Blood Services BLOOD DONOR CLINIC
CHRIS BABKIRK
WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST DEC. 15 1-7 pm by PM appt only 1-7 Leamington Lebanese Lebanese Club Club 447 447 Hwy 77 Leamington Hwy 77 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Call 188-2-DONATE Visitorblood.ca to register visit blood.ca
390 Talbot St. N. Essex
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chrisbabkirk@kenknappford.com
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Southpoint Sun - 21A
Jeffery commits to Division 1 school
ADAM JEFFERY
By Mark Ribble LEAMINGTON — Former Leamington Flyers forward and Southpoint Minor Hockey product Adam Jeffery has committed to the Rochester Institute of Technology to play Division 1 hockey next season. The homegrown talent spent two years with the Flyers, playing in 97 games over that span. He scored 39 goals and added 58 assists in that time to produce at a point-pergame rate. Currently at home in Leamington, Jeffery is recuperating from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during his first shift of the fourth game of this season in the British Columbia Hockey League where he plays for the Junior A Cowichan Capitals. Prior to his injury, he had scored six goals in the
team’s first three games and was on a torrid pace for a banner year. “I felt I was playing my best hockey yet,” he said. “Now recovery is my priority.” Adam expects to be home until at least February when he can re-evaluate his progress and hopes for a return to British Columbia to wrap up the season. This is the second time he’s injured the tendon. “I hurt it in my rookie season with the Flyers too,” he said. Despite the setback, he’s looking forward to continuing his education and hockey career at R.I.T., a Division 1 college that has expressed great interest in him. “It seemed like the right decision for me academically and for my hockey career,” he said. “They’ve got a great program.” Jeffery gives credit to former Flyers Director of Hockey Operations and General Manager Harold Konrad for making the connection for him. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Harold Konrad,” he said. “He guided me through the entire process.”
Grundner signs with Guelph Storm LEAMINGTON - Rookie forward Gavin Grundner, who has been tearing it up with the Leamington Junior B Flyers, has committed to a standard player agreement with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6’1”, 177-pound winger has 19 points in 18 games so far this season for the Flyers. He was taken 172nd overall in the ninth round of the 2020 OHL Priority Draft. Grundner spent the 2019-
20 season with the Windsor Spitfire AAA Minofr Midgets.
GAVIN GRUNDNER
Flyers’ goalie Ryan Polidori smothers a Vipers scoring attempt as Flyers Luka Milosevic (66) and Gabe Piccolo (98) are ready to help keep the Viper attackers at bay. Scott Holland photo
Flyers turn close contest into rout of Vipers By C. Scott Holland LEAMINGTON — The battle of Essex County concluded its Leamington portion last Thursday night as the LaSalle Vipers made their third visit to the Nature Fresh Farms Complex. With the Vipers regular goaltending duo not available, Wheatley Sharks call-up Ethan Carlone got the nod in net on this occasion. Carlone held his team in the game for two frames before the Flyers tabbed four unanswered third-period goals to win the contest 8-3 in front of a crowd of 357. By the game’s completion, Carlone had turned side 32 of 40 shots, while Flyers’ netminder Ryan Polidori halted 51. The game itself was actually much closer than the final score indicated and head coach Dale Mitchell confirmed that in his post-game thoughts. “Even though it was an 8-3 game, it was pretty tight for 45-50 minutes. We knew LaSalle was going to come out hard and challenge us. But we took advantage of a few of
their mistakes in the first and capitalized on them,” he said. “In the second period we got into some penalty trouble — myself included — and gave LaSalle opportunities to get back into the game, yet Ryan Polidori made some huge saves for us to keep the lead for us,” added Mitchell. During that second period, Polidori stopped 21 Vipers’ attempts. It was the most saves by a Flyers’ goalie during a single period in quite a few years. Near the midway juncture of the opening period, Luka Milosevic and Connor MacPherson hooked passes to Gavin Grundner, who flicked a shot while falling and sliding on the ice to Carlone’s right side to score. The Flyers made it a 2-0 contest on a two-onone break with Grundner feeding Connor MacPherson, who fired the goal from the right lane. At 7:36 of the second, the Flyers expanded their lead to 3-0 when Colton O’Brien batted a loose puck past Carlone during
a goalmouth scramble. However, the feisty Vipers fought back as Noah Morneau slotted a powerplay goal. That goal gave the Vipers a bit of momentum and at 16:44 Morneau pegged a bullet shot into the top corner to make it a close 3-2 game. What turned out to be the eventual game-winning goal occurred with nine seconds left in the period as O’Brien and Noah Prudhomme connected with Wyatt O’Neil, who ripped a right wing cannon shot that gave the Flyers a 4-2 margin. A skirmish behind the Vipers’ net at the end of the second resulted in LaSalle taking two roughing minors to Leamington’s one. On the ensuing powerplay, Andrew Utero and Ryan MacPherson laid the groundwork for Gabe Piccolo, who pounced on a rebound and riveted it into the top of the Vipers’ net. The Vipers bounced back 30 seconds later when Stephane Crevier drilled a shot high over Polidori’s glove.
That goal was all the Flyers and Polidori would allow them to tab as they shut down the Vipers the rest of the way. Two quick goals coming at 13:14 and 13:56 put the game completely out of the Vipers’ reach Jack Cotter got in on the scoring action and Wyatt O’Neil jammed one in close. O’Neil completed his hattrick at 17:24 when he went in alone and slipped the rubber behind Carlone. Schedule: Thursday, December 2 versus London at 7:10 pm. Saturday, December 4 in Chatham at 2 pm.
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