The Independent

Nathan Reidhead recorded his first career junior hat trick leading the Dresden Jr. Kings to a 7-3 win over Walpole Island in PJHL action in the north Chatham-Kent community Friday.

The Wyoming product and graduate of the Petrolia minor hockey system now has six goals and nine points in 23 games this season in Dresden.

East Lambton minor hockey grad and Watford native Ryan Bork added a goal and assist for the Kings in the victory. He has five goals and five assists in 29 games this season.

Ex-Mooretown Flag Alex Simpson had one of the goals for the Wild.

Blake Verberne stopped 13 shots in the Dresden crease.

The Watford native was returned to the Kings from Chatham of the GOHL late last week. Meantime, the PJHL says the Western Conference all-star game between the Stobbs and Yeck Division will be played in Parkhill on Jan. 11.

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Watford’s Wyatt Ferguson, Warwick’s Austin Scott and Max Gauvin of Corunna will all take part in the Alliance Minor Hockey all-star games in Komoka on Jan. 4.

Ferguson will represent the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks in the under-18 game while Scott and Gauvin will play in the under-15 contest.

Other locals chosen to play in the games are Ashton Fraser, Wes Robertson, Levi Inch, Alexander Stevenson and Price Teft.

Former Mooretown Flag and Sarnia Legionnaire Jordan Hurtubise and Lambton Shores’ Reid Harper will be the referees for the under-18 game.

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Colby Cook’s goal early in the third period was the difference as North Lambton improved to 2-2 in boys’ high school hockey with a 3-1 over LCCVI in Petrolia last Wednesday. Nathan Leyten iced the game with an empty net tally in the final minute of regulation time.

Kayden MacKenzie for North Lambton and LCCVI’s Jace Hall exchanged goals in the first period. The Lancers are now 2-1.

In AAA action, St. Patrick’s improved to 3-0 with a 5-3 win over Northern. The Vikings are 1-2.

The season is now on break until Jan. 5.

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In girls’ hockey action, LCCVI won its division at a recent tournament in London beating Palmerston-Norwell, 7-2 in the final and North Lambton beat St. Pat’s by forfeit in league play. The girls season resume on Jan. 6.

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LCCVI fought back from one set down to beat North Lambton in three sets in LKSSAA senior girls AA volleyball in the Petrolia gym last Thursday evening.

The Lancers won the decisive set, 15-8.

The Petrolia school is now 1-2. North Lambton falls to 2-1.

In junior AA action, LCCVI also came back from one set down to beat the Eagles in three sets, including 15-9 in the final set.

The Lancers are now 2-1. North Lambton falls to 1-2.

The Eagles also swept a junior-senior doubleheader against the John McGregor Panthers.

LCCVI and the Eagles host Wallaceburg and the JMSS Panthers respectively as the season continues on Jan. 6.

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Athletes from LCCVI won 15 medals at a recent invitational high school wrestling event at Ursuline in Chatham.

Benjamin Leystra, Alex Campbell and Mya Beaudoin won gold medals in their divisions.
Isaac Jahnke, Connor O’Brien, Breanna Dew, Laci Cook and Jessa Somerville were silver medalists while Luken Venhuizen, Micah Kember, Zach Carr, Willow Johansen, Amelia Limoges, Abbi White and Kylee Somerville all captured bronze medals.

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Sarnia Bluewater and Lambton Lions wrestling clubs are preparing for the Ontario Senior Open and Youth Wrestling Festival next spring.

The one-day event scheduled for May 2 featuring the top senior aged wrestlers in Ontario along with hundreds of future stars in the Tyke, Novice, and Kids divisions.

“We hope to use this great event to highlight the quality wrestling happening in our area,” said John Burke, head coach of the Sarnia Bluewater Wrestling Club in a prepared statement.

“This is a great opportunity for the Lambton Lions Wrestling Club to compete in their home gym in front of a huge crowd,” said Coach Kyle Bershatsky of Lambton Lions Wrestling Club.

“This region has always produced exceptional athletes, and with Lambton College now investing in wrestling, we are seeing new interest from colleges across Ontario. That type of growth strengthens every part of our athlete pathway,” said David Tremblay, High Performance Manager, Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association.

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Heath Bogart and Canada East finished fourth at the recently completed World Junior A Challenge in Quebec. The Grand Bend native who recently signed with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs for the 2026-27 campaign, had one assist in five games.