Stars upend first place Nationals

   Power play goals by Hu, Ferreira, lead St. Thomas to a 4-2 win

   Friday, February 2, 2018

  St. Thomas Star Ryan Bangs (7) moves the puck with London National Austin Jeffers in        

  pursuit, during Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action, at Memorial arena. 

  (photo / Rob J. Ross )

By Rob J. Ross

ST. THOMAS - No better way to build confidence than to beat the first place team.

Two power play goals in the second period lifted the St. Thomas Stars to a 4-2 win, over the Western Conference leading London Nationals, in Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League action, at Memorial Arena.

Kevin Hu and Curtis Ferreira scored with the man advantage within five minutes, regaining a two goal lead the Stars briefly held in the opening frame.

"It was a good win for the boys. We are short staffed. They had some guys out too, but they're still the first place team," Stars' head coach Darren Kelly said.

"I thought we had the better scoring chances in the first. To give up those two goals, I told the boys, it's just hockey, that happens sometimes, but you have to be ready. The good thing was we weren't behind. It was 0-0. We had a restart and made sure the boys were working hard. We had a really good second period."

The Stars appeared to be heading into the first intermission up 2-0, but the Nationals struck twice in eight seconds. Thomas McLatchie and Jake Desando gave the Stars a lead, before Nationals' Max Vinogradov and Cohen Kiteley, scored eights second apart.

Desando and Ferreira, both had two point games, picking up an assist each.

"They're a top team, so it means a lot to us. It gets the guys fired up for the next games and our confidence up too," Stars' captain Cal Horvat said. "All of the guys played hard. We kept things simple, putting pucks in deep and pressuring their D."

The Stars weren't about to let a second lead slip away in the third period.

"We played the trap," Horvat said. "We didn't let them get pucks to the net and we forced them to the outside. We weren't looking for goals."

The Stars rebounded strong, 24 hours after losing to the Chatham Maroons. In that game, the Stars gave up a pair of power play goals, while with nothing to show from five power plays of their own.

"The last three to four games we've struggled getting power play goals," Kelly said. "Tonight I was rolling the lines and not putting anybody on the power play. The guys were hungry and they were wanting to be on PP."

The Stars stop a two game skid and improve to 4-2-1-1 in 2018.

St. Thomas (23-14-2-2) sits fifth in the GOJHL Western Conference, four points behind fourth place Sarnia (24-13-1-5) and eight back of LaSalle (28-13-1-1). The three teams, along with Leamington (25-10-4-3) continue to jockey for positions behind first place London (32-9-0-2).

The Stars were without Christian Clark (upper body injury), Eric Langridge (mononucleosis) and the Fisher twins, Kyle and Brett.

The next seven days could really shake things out for the Stars, whose aim remains finishing second, as they travel to Komoka, February 4, LaSalle, February 7 and host Sarnia, February 9.

"It won't be handed over to us," Horvat said. "We're have to work had for it.  We're still striving for second place. Our goal is second place."