Flyers win three in-a-row

By C. Scott Holland

LEAMINGTON — The Leamington Flyers have entered their final month of regular season play and have a grueling schedule ahead. They’ll play a total of 16 contests in the span of 30 days.

Last Wednesday night they traveled to London and topped the first-place Nationals 3-2 in overtime, then returned home for a 6-3 win over the St. Marys Lincolns.

On Saturday in Komoka they blanked the Kings 6-0. The three wins leave them three points behind London with a game in hand.

Regarding the road game at London, head coach Dale Mitchell said, “ I thought we came out slow. It wasn’t until they scored that we started to play well and do the right things. The second period was a battle of special teams. We killed for the first ten minutes and then were on the powerplay for the latter half. We got a power-play goal but it wasn’t good enough for our club.”

In London, the Flyers were down 1-0 to the Nationals after 20 minutes then ended the second by tying the game at 2-2. Gavin Grundner put the Flyers on the scoreboard nine minutes into the second, and with a powerplay advantage during the last minute of the second frame, Wyatt O’Neil drilled the tying goal.

Neither side scored in the third and a seven-minute overtime followed.

It did not take the Flyers long to use a Nats’ turnover for a two-on-one break. Ryan MacPherson got the steal and fed Andrew Uturo, who buried the puck for the victory at 2:48. Ryan Polidori made 27 saves to get the win.

Nearly 500 fans watched Thursday in Leamington as vaccination restrictions were eased, witnessing a close contest for two periods before the Flyers’ offense went to work and secured a 6-3 win over St. Marys.

The Flyers opened the scoring versus St. Marys but came out of the first down 2-1.

Jack Cotter laid the groundwork for Leamington’s first tally when he gave Koen Taves a shot on net. Taves’ shot skipped off Lincolns’ netminder Bryce Walcarius, and Jason Daraiche was perched on the left doorstep to whisk it into the net with a backhander. At 12:07, Flyers’ starter Ryan Polidori kicked out a rebound which bounded out into the slot area where Spencer Hazell blasted it past the Flyer netminder. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Lincs struck again as Thomas Harbour’s shot vaulted them into the lead.

“We talked at the intermission and challenged the boys,” said Mitchell. “They responded. We came out strong and evened up the game.”

In the second period, on a powerplay, Connor MacPherson deftly converted the puck into the net with a tip in that knotted the game. Luka Milosevic helped out on the Flyers’ third tally when Connor MacPherson drilled the puck past Walcarius. But a late period powerplay given to the Lincolns resulted in Harbour netting his second of the game for a 3-3 draw.

In the third, the Flyers struck for the goahead tally and eventual game-winner near the two-minute mark when Wyatt O’Neil unleashed a blazing shot that clanged into the net after hitting a post.

Midway through the frame, Andrew Uturo got the insurance goal when he stole the puck off a Lincs’ players’ stick and went on a breakaway. With 3:46 left in regulation, St. Marys lifted Walcarius for an extra attacker. The Lincs kept their goalie out until Connor McCracken and Jack Cotter got the puck to Gabe Piccolo who skated down ice and slipped it into the vacated net at 19:43.

Saturday in Komoka, the Flyers surged to a 3-0 first period lead and after 40 minutes led 6-0. Boe Piroski earned the shutout by halting 22 shots, while the Flyers put 50 on two Kings’ goalies.

Scoring for Leamington were Gabe Piccolo with two, while Gavin Grundner, Connor McCracken, Ryan MacPherson and Blake McNally netted one each.

Schedule: Thurs. March 10 vs. Strathroy Rockets at 7:10 pm.