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Sarnia Sting goalie Kale Osipenko (31) makes a save on Erie Otters\u2019 Liam Beamish (91) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone\/Postmedia Network)<\/p>\nLast place on Halloween? That\u2019s a scary thought.<\/p>\n
The Sarnia Sting didn\u2019t expect to wake up Saturday in the OHL\u2019s Western Conference cellar. Not after remaking the roster in the off-season and getting off to a strong start and building the league\u2019s best power play.<\/p>\n
Yet, after three straight playoff-less seasons, they have the conference\u2019s worst points percentage following Friday\u2019s 4-3 loss to the Erie Otters.<\/p>\n
The Sting (6-9-0-1) have lost three in a row and seven of eight after failing to protect a 3-1 lead in front of 3,046 fans at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not crazy to say we\u2019ve been playing some good hockey lately,\u201d Sting forward Jack Van Volsen said. \u201cWe\u2019ve just got to find a way at one of these games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parker Holmes had two goals for the Sting and Chase Gaughan scored one.<\/p>\n
Sarnia Sting goalie Kale Osipenko (31) makes a save on Erie Otters\u2019 Liam Beamish (91) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone\/Postmedia Network)<\/p>\n
The Otters\u2019 comeback began at 14:28 of the second period when Ulysses Lombardi scored with six Erie skaters on the ice. Officials didn\u2019t notice, but the Sting did. Head coach Mathieu Turcotte gave the crew an earful as he left the ice after the game.<\/p>\n
The Sting gave up their fifth breakaway goal in the last three games when Michael Dec drew the Otters even in the third period at 6:47.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just a little too careless,\u201d Sting captain Alessandro Di Iorio said about the third period. \u201cWe had momentum pretty much the whole game and a guy gets a breakaway behind us and our momentum goes away. I think we\u2019ve got to be more aware.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ex-Sting forward Kase Kamzik scored the winner with 1:31 left in the regulation. His shot from the bottom of the left circle rang off the right post and past netminder Kale Osipenko.<\/p>\n
\u201cNine times out of 10 we win that game if we play the same way,\u201d Di Iorio said.<\/p>\n
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Sarnia Sting\u2019s Chase Gaughan (71) battles Erie Otters\u2019 Julius Saari (6) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone\/Postmedia Network)<\/p>\n
The Sting have allowed at least four goals in eight consecutive games since posting back-to-back shutouts against the Oshawa Generals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re focusing a lot on our D zone the last couple weeks,\u201d said Van Volsen, who had two assists. \u201cIt\u2019s gotten better, but literally we\u2019ve just got to find a way to win some games here. We\u2019re in pretty much every single one.\u201d<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve been tied or ahead in the third period in their last four defeats.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s loss kicked off a five-game homestand. Next is a Sunday matinee with the Flint Firebirds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been on the road a bunch, so being at home is nice,\u201d Di Iorio said. \u201c(We) get some practices in. We\u2019ve got to string a few wins together here.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike Vanner said, we\u2019ve been in pretty much every game. We\u2019ve just got to find a way at the end of the games to close them out.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Sarnia Sting\u2019s Parker Holmes (53) battles Erie Otters\u2019 Tristen Trevino (10) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone\/Postmedia Network)<\/p>\n
One bright spot was the first career two-game for Holmes, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect known more for his physicality than his scoring.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s had the chance to play a bigger offensive role this season after being acquired from the Brantford Bulldogs. His four even-strength goals are tied with Easton Walos and Simon Katolicky for the team lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gets to the dirty areas,\u201d Di Iorio said. \u201cHe took one off the chin on the bench and goes back out there to score. That\u2019s the kind of player he is. He works really hard in practice and in games. Lucky to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sting have the OHL\u2019s best power play with a 33.8 per cent success rate, but they didn\u2019t have a single power play Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t really control that,\u201d Di Iorio said. \u201cIt\u2019s what the refs called, but I think we played a pretty good game five-on-five today. You can\u2019t always rely on your power play to win games. We\u2019ve got to find a way five-on-five.\u201d<\/p>\n
NOTES: Osipenko made 24 saves. Otters goalie David Egorov made 25. . . . Walos and Cole Emerton saw their nine-game point streaks snapped. . . . The Sting gave a welcome-back announcement to centre Liam Beamish during a first-period stoppage. He was traded to Erie in the off-season. . . . Recently acquired defenceman Liam Spencer wasn\u2019t in the Sting\u2019s lineup, so defenceman Landon Pickersgill was called up from the Leamington Flyers. . . . Also gone from the blue-line was Adrian Sgro, who\u2019s at the U17 World Challenge in Oakville. . . . The Sting\u2019s power play is five percentage points better than the second-best Sudbury Wolves (28.8 per cent). That\u2019s the same amount separating the Wolves from the 10th-best Otters (23.8 per cent).<\/p>\n
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Sarnia Sting\u2019s Cameron Aucoin (6) battles Erie Otters\u2019 Kase Kamzik (34) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone\/Postmedia Network)<\/p>\n
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Sarnia Sting\u2019s Dracen Campbell (18) pokes the puck away from Erie Otters\u2019 Michael Dec (25) at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (Mark Malone\/Postmedia Network)<\/p>\n
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