London Knights and Sarnia Sting trade 6-4 victories in OHL Rivalry Week series
Cohen Bidgood and Thomas Zocco each scored twice and added an assist as the London Knights beat the Sarnia Sting 6-4 at Canada Life Place on Friday, Oct. 23.
The game was the second half of a home-and-home series during the OHL’s Rivalry Week.
Four of London’s goals came in pairs. The Knights scored twice in 29 seconds in the first period, and twice in 18 seconds to open the third.
Sarnia opened the scoring just 2:16 into the game. Kaden Aucoin’s wrist shot from the right point found its way through traffic and into the London net.
The Knights tied the game and went ahead in a span of 29 seconds. First, Juho Piiparinen made a great defensive play to break up a Sting two-on-one. Carson Harmer picked up the puck and rifled it ahead to Bidgood at the Sarnia blue line.
Bidgood went in alone and scored his seventh of the season. It was his second straight breakaway goal, going back to Oct. 16 against Sudbury.
“I’m not usually a breakaway type of guy,” Bidgood said with a laugh after the game. “Both tonight were on weird plays, but also great plays by [Carson] Harmer and [Thomas] Zocco.”
London forward Marcus Nordmark fought hard to get to a puck in the Sarnia end and then got to the net and fed Zocco for his first of two goals and the Knights had the lead.
The 2-1 lead didn’t last the period. Jack Van Volsen batted a rebound out of the air with just over five minutes left, and the teams were tied 2-2 after 20 minutes.
London kept the OHL’s top-ranked power play off the ice until the second period. When Sarnia finally got its chances, the Knights’ penalty kill held up well. Through eight minutes of Sting power plays, London came within 13 seconds killing off every second.
However Simon Katolicky found a hole at the side of the net and stuffed a shot in to put Sarnia back in front 3-2.
Bidgood pulled the Knights even with another breakaway goal at 16:40 of the second. This time he outraced two Sting defenders and shovelled the puck toward the net. It hit goaltender Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko’s stick, popped into the air, bounced off Bidgood’s chest and crossed the line as the net came off its pegs.
After a quick review, the goal stood, and the game was tied again.
Piiparinen and Zocco scored 18 seconds apart to start the third period. Kane Barch then ripped home his first career OHL goal off a faceoff at 7:38 to make it 6-3.
A late power-play goal from Tyler Challenger pulled Sarnia within two, but London held on. The Knights have now won eight of their 11 games and sit one point behind the Guelph Storm for top spot in the Midwest Division. Guelph’s nine-game winning streak ended in Kitchener on Friday night.
Brian Cooke picked up the win in goal for London and is now 4-0 on the season. Marcus Nordmark added two assists.
Ryan Beaulieu played in his third OHL game of the year in place of Jonathan Kapageridis who served the first game of a three-game suspension.
Former London defenceman Liam Spencer suited up for Sarnia a day after being acquired by the Sting from the Niagara Ice Dogs.
London outshot Sarnia 33-29. The Sting went 2-for-7 on the power play, and the Knights went 0-for-2.