Vandersleen to Dolphins' rescue

   Captain scores winner after Dorchester blows a third period three goal lead

  October 1, 2022

By Rob J. Ross

DORCHESTER, Ont. - The captain brought his team to victory.

Dylan Vandersleen scored with under five minutes to go in the third period, lifting the Dorchester Dolphins pass the Lucan Irish, 5-4, Friday, in Provincial Junior Hockey.

"I got a nice pass from Genie (Eugene Spanier) for a good breakout. I saw a lane and took it to the net and it went in for me," said Vandersleen. "Nice to bounce back. We were getting a little scared there, because we had a three goal lead and blew it. It would have been very unfortunate to lose this one."

Dorchester led 4-1 mid third period, before Lucan struck for three goals, in just under four minutes, tying the affair.

Dolphins' head coach Mark Steele called a timeout that seemed to get his team back playing how they were over the first 50 minutes.

The home side had out shot their guests 37-28, over two periods and held the 4-1 advantage. Lucan fire 14 pucks at Dolphins' goalie Jackson Mailloux in the third.

"We stopped skating. We thought the game was over. We can't stop skating, because they will take advantage of you for sure," Vandersleen said. "It came quick. Once they had momentum, it was our game to lose. We had to keep working hard. Steelsey called a good timeout and settled the boys."

Nicholas Shearer with two goals and Paterson MacNair, also scored for the home side. Spanier finished with two assists, while Vandersleen, MacNair, also picked up helpers.

"That's the reason why he has the C on him," coach Zach Robertson said, of Vandersleen. "Lucan battled and we had a mental lapse."

Robertson, a former Dolphins' player, from Belmont, joined the staff this season, following a year with the Port Stanley Sailors.

"We're a tight knit team already and it's only four games in," said Robertson. "We just have to work on the little things, like coming back in our zone and playing a full 60 minutes. That's most important. You can't take a shift off, no matter what team you're playing."

Austin Ma, Eric Lave, Cam Reif and Jacob Van Arenthals, potted pucks for Lucan.

The Dolphins with a 3-1-0-0 record, for seven points, sit third in the Yeck Division, behind first place Thamesford (5-0-1-0, 11 points) and undefeated North Middlesex (10 pts).

Port Stanley sits in sixth place and Aylmer is eighth.

Aylmer's two points came against Dorchester, on September 18, a 4-1 victory, spoiling Vandersleen's return to his hometown.

MacNair leads the Dolphins with four goals and four assists. Jakob Marche has three goals and two assists.