Stars lack effort and shots in loss

  Leamington ties GOJHL Western semifinal with 3-2 game four win

Monday, March 19, 2018

By Rob J. Ross 

ST. THOMAS - The St. Thomas Stars were scoring on 12 per cent of their shots, but finished with just two goals. That's right mathematicians, the Stars only had 17 shots on net for the entire game.

After taking a two games to one lead, winning at Leamington on Sunday, the Stars seemed to relax on their home once, allowing the Leamington Flyers to tie the series, with a 3-2 victory, at the Timken Centre.

Now the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Western Conference semifinal, is a best of three affair, with game five at Leamington, on Thursday.

"Our boys weren't ready. They thought after the big win last night we could play like we did and everybody was waiting for somebody else to work harder and nobody did," Stars' head coach Darren Kelly said. "Leamington deserved it."

The Stars could only muster 17 shots, a high of nine in the third period, while the Flyers fired 36 pucks at Stars' goalie Anthony Hurtubise.

"The first 10 minutes were OK. Then the last 10 of the first period and all the way through the second, even though we had a 2-1 lead, we only had a couple shots. In the third, we gave a little bit, but we can't give them any life and we did," Kelly said. "We thought we'd come back in here (home) and it'll be all good. Hockey doesn't work that way."

On just the Stars' eighth shot of the game, Kevin Hu gave the Stars a 2-1 lead, with his first goal of the playoffs, scoring from the side of the net, after taking rebound off the back boards from a point shot by Mason Millman.

Kyle Fisher, with his first goal, put the Stars on the board, four minutes in to the game. Bryce O'Brien tied it at one for Leamington.

Josh Pope-Ferguson and Blake Bain scored seven minutes apart in the third period, for a 3-2 Flyers lead.

 For just the second game in the playoffs, the Stars' power play failed to produce, going zero-for-four.

"The boys have to work harder, but the good thing is we're tied 2-2," Kelly said. "We need to match our intensity of game three. We played well last night. We have to go into the game on Thursday with that mindset and ready to go. Pucks in deep, work cycles, have all of the clichés, but we have to make sure we win the hockey game."

Brett Fisher drew an assist on his brother's goal, and now sits with 12 points, tied with Adam Keyes for the team scoring lead, each with six goals and six assists.

Game six is Friday, at Memorial Arena, due to the St. Thomas Home Show, taking over the Timken Centre, March 23-25.