Jon Maillet For the Journal
The Chatham Maroons were in Sarnia Thursday night, and they certainly brought their offense. The Maroons left town with two points after an 8-5 win, to go up on the season series with the Sarnia Legionnaires 2-0.
Legionnaires goalie Logan Phillips had another busy night in the crease — facing 40 shots and turning away 32 of them — and despite finding some success with the power-play, Sarnia was two-for-four with the man advantage, and would just fall short of the win.
Chatham would hold a one-goal lead after the first period, taking a 3-2 lead into the second, and would stay in front for much of the game. Jace McGrail picked up his second of the season, while Ryan Richardson scored his sixth goal as the Legionnaires tried to keep pace.
Sarnia would hold the lead briefly in the second period as Owen Brown scored his first goal of the season on a power-play just 2:18 into the second to pull the Legionnaires even at 3-3. Lucas Durham would add his second goal of the season midway through the middle frame to lift Sarnia to a 4-3 lead. That let to a goaltending change for the Maroons, as Patrick Sutherland was pulled after giving up four goals on 21 shots, bringing in Zach Jovanoski to finish out the game.
The lead was short lived however, as Jaxen Fortier-Smith would beat Phillips for his third of the season to tie the game with 3:30 to go in the second. Chatham would take the lead back moments later, as David Brown would also score his third of the season — a late period goal with just 42 second left to lead 5-4.
Ty Therien would bring the Legionnaires even once again, scoring his sixth goal just a little over two minutes into the final period. Lucas Durham and Colin Langstaff picked up assists on the goal that made it 5-5, but that’s as close as the Legionnaires would come.
Chatham would score three unanswered from there — Braeden Burke and Aiden Edwrds would score, as Lucas Durham picked up his second of the game, while Jovanoski would hold down the fort in net, making 12 saves on 13 shots in relief.
These two teams will face each other again Sunday night in Chatham at the Chatham Memorial Arena at 7pm.