Knights keep pace; Lightning tied for first; GOJHL playoffs

Gameday in 5: A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (March 4-10) — for London’s teams and athletes.

The London Nationals hold a 2-1 series lead vs. Komoka in GOJHL playoff action after the weekend. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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London Knights

The London Knights clinched the Midwest Division title after winning two of their three games last week. It’s the fifth straight season they’ve accomplished the feat, and they’re guaranteed a top two seed in the playoffs.

The week didn’t get off to a great start, with a 5-4 loss to the Guelph Storm on the road. Down 3-0 after the first period, Sam Dickinson got the Knights on the board with a power play marker 5:34 into the second. Jacob Julien got London within a goal to close out the frame, and then Easton Cowan tied the contest a minute and a half into the third. Unfortunately for London, the Storm responded with a pair of goals of their own, and though Cowan tacked on a second goal at the 14-minute mark of the final frame, Guelph held on for the win. 

The Knights turned things around on Friday night with a big 6-1 win over the Sarnia Sting at home. Isaiah George scored the ice breaker 4:46 into the game, while Kasper Halttunen doubled the lead in the final minute of the first period. Ruslan Gazivov scored the team’s lone goal in the second, and he added another goal in the third. Kaleb Lawrence and William Nicholl also scored for the Knights. Owen Willmore stopped 16 of 17 shots in the win.

Riding some momentum into Saturday, the Knights clinched the Midwest Division title for the fifth straight season with a 4-1 win over the rival Kitchener Rangers. After a scoreless first, the Knights scored three times in the second. Jacob Julien got the offense going at the 5:34 mark. Oliver Bonk scored less than three minutes later, and then Denver Barkey added a third goal. The Rangers scored their only marker early in the third. The Knights added an empty netter to close the game out. Michael Simpson stopped 23 of 24 shots in securing the win.

Up next:

The Knights are tied with Saginaw for tops in the Western Conference with 94 points apiece. However, the Spirit have the tiebreaker, so London will need to finish ahead of them in order to win the conference. Both teams have five games remaining. London plays three of those this week …

Wed. March 13 (7:00pm @ Erie Otters)
Fri. March 15 (7:00pm vs. Soo Greyhounds)
Sun. March 17 (4:05pm @ Windsor Spitfires)

London Lightning

The Lightning had a successful week, winning both of their games. Facing the Sudbury Five on Tuesday, the Lightning played one of their better all-around games of the season, eventually winning 120-107 at Bud Gardens. Down 60-56 at halftime, London outplayed the Five in the second half. They took a one-possession lead into the final quarter, and then they enjoyed a big fourth quarter that put Sudbury away. Billy White led the team with 37 points with 8 rebounds. Jermaine Haley Jr. had a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double, while Jachai Taylor finished with 18 points and Chris Jones had 17.

Taking on the TBL’s Glass City Wranglers on Sunday, the Lightning cruised to a 127-95 win. A big second quarter gave London a 20-point halftime lead. The Lightning simply overmatched the Wranglers in the matinee affair, and rode another 62 second-half points to an easy win. Seven different London players scored in double digits, including Billy White (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Jeremiah Mordi (19 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds), who both produced double-doubles. Rashad Smith had 20 points, while Nick Garth had 19.

Up next:

The Lightning (14-7) enter a new week tied for top spot in the BSL standings with the KW Titans (12-6). Those teams will play each other (for the first time since the opening week of the season) this Sunday.

Sun. March 17 (2:00pm vs. KW Titans)

GOJHL Playoffs - First Round

London Nationals (1) vs. Komoka Kings (8) (London leads series 2-1)

After dropping the first game of the series 4-1 at home on Wednesday, the Nationals bounced back to take two straight against their first-round playoff rivals, the Komoka Kings. First, it was an 8-1 win in Game 2 Saturday, and then a 4-1 win in Game 3 Sunday. Lucas Chard leads London with five points (all assists) in the best-of-seven series so far. Riley Wood, Jeremy Hirsh and Joshua Lepain each have four points. Hayden Sabourin has started all three games for the Nationals, posting a 2-1 record and a 1.69 goals-against average. 

Up next: 

Game 4: Tues. March 12 (7:00pm, London @ Komoka)
Game 5: Wed. March 13 (7:00pm, London vs. Komoka)
Game 6: Sat. March 16 (7:00pm, London @ Komoka) (if necessary)
Game 7: Sun. March 17 (7:00pm, London vs. Komoka) (if necessary)

Strathroy Rockets (3) vs. St. Thomas Stars (6) (Strathroy leads series 2-0)

The Rockets hold a 2-0 series lead over the Stars, winning the series opener 8-1 Saturday and Game 2 by a 3-0 margin Sunday. Ethan Facchina leads the Rockets in points with four, while Matthew Souliere and Jimmy Sutherland both have three points apiece. Colin Androlewicz has started both games in net for the Rockets, going 2-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average.  

Up next:

Game 3: Tues. March 12 (7:30pm, Strathroy vs. St. Thomas)
Game 4: Wed. March 13 (7:30pm, Strathroy @ St. Thomas)
Game 5: Sat. March 16 (7:30pm, Strathroy vs. St. Thomas) (if necessary)
Game 6: Sun. March 17 (7:30pm, Strathroy @ St. Thomas) (if necessary)
Game 7: Tues. March 19 (7:30pm, Strathroy vs. St. Thomas) (if necessary)