The Sarnia Legionnaires dropped their sixth straight game Thursday night, falling to the visiting LaSalle Vipers 6-4.
Legionnaires goaltender Ethan Everaert turned away 45 shots and forwards Ryan Richardson and Austin Harper each recorded a goal and an assist in the losing effort.
LaSalle opened the scoring at 7:27 with a power play goal and then made it 2-0 at 11:04. Richardson cut the lead in half with his team-leading 13th goal of the season at 11:48. The Vipers scored a shorthanded marker at 16:33 before Owen MacDonald brought Sarnia back within a goal at 18:48 -- LaSalle led 3-2 after 20 minutes.
Harper tied the game eight minutes into the second period and Cameron Barlass put the Legionnaires in front at 16:08. Sarnia led 4-3 heading into the third period and trailed LaSalle in shots, 30-27.
The Vipers came out strong in the final frame, tying the game with a power play goal at 2:40. The road team regained the lead at 16:16 and then added an empty net goal at 18:06 to cap off the 6-4 win. LaSalle outshot Sarnia 21-6 in the third period.
"We had a good second period, but that seems to be the way we're playing right now," said Legionnaires head coach Derek DiMuzio. "We'll have a really good stretch and then we struggle in certain areas and we can't really regroup. When we're playing real competitive teams, we pretty much have to have a perfect game here and it has to be high compete level."
The Legionnaires were 0 for 2 on the penalty kill and 0 for 7 with the man advantage while also giving up a short-handed goal. DiMuzio said the power play needs to be better and guys have to execute.
"There were situations there where we needed a goal and we didn't respond -- we needed to get a power play goal and we need to execute. So, unfortunately it didn't happen."
The loss drops Sarnia to 9-26-0-1 on the season. The club is back in action Saturday night in Strathroy.
With files from Josh Boyce
