Not pretty, but Guelph Regals slip by Welland
The Guelph Regals will be thankful that wins in the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League don’t come with style points.
The Regals needed six third-period goals, including the final four goals of the game, to get by the Welland Generals 10-8 Friday night at the Victoria Road arena.
Last Sunday the Regals had defeated the Wallaceburg Red Devils 10-7 in Guelph a day after the Red Devils had thumped Welland 15-1. Those results gave the feeling that Friday night’s game would be a romp for the locals.
While the Regals grabbed a 3-1 lead by the end of the first period, the play of Welland goalkeeper Kiaus Lalonde kept the score down as he keyed into the Guelph squad’s tendency to attack from his right-hand side.
The Generals scored four goals in the first half of the second period, mainly on long shots, to shoot ahead and chase Guelph starting netminder Anthony Fonte. Connor Waller, the winner in the opening game, came in and went the rest of the way.
Welland led 6-4 at the end of the second period, but the Regals tied it with a pair of goals in the first eight minutes of the third. However, Welland scored a pair to regain its two-goal advantage with six minutes to go before the Regals pulled even again with two shorthanded goals 25 seconds apart.
The game remained tied with two and a half minutes to go before the Regals scored the final two goals of the game, the final one into an empty net with 33 seconds to go.
Sam Savery had two goals and three assists for the Regals while Dylan Goddard and Graeme Crowder each added two goals and two assists. Ben Morton collected a goal and three assists while Darcy Rybinski and Caelan Brady each had a goal and an assist and Ryan Whelpley added the empty-netter. Mason Walton, Max Morgan and former General Brett Vince gathered one assist apiece.
Joey Young had four goals for Welland while Brayden Stearns and Garrett Liddiard each tallied twice. Owen Millar assisted on five of the goals while Young, Ben Bartley and Liam Legault each had one assist.
The Regals outshot Welland 62-44 thanks to a 23-9 advantage in the third. The locals also had a power-play goal and their two shorthanded markers while Welland struck for four power-play goals.
Fonte had 25 saves in his stint while Waller had 11. Lalonde had 52 for Welland.
The result leaves the Regals with two wins in as many outings while Welland has lost all three of its matches in league play.
The Regals are to host the Owen Sound North Stars Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Victoria Road arena. Owen Sound dropped its lone league outing 14-5 to the Six Nations Rebels Friday. The North Stars are to start their season with seven consecutive road games while the Regals are to start with three in a row at home before playing three in a row on the road.
- Guelph Sports Journal