The highly anticipated game between the hometown Essex 73's and Wheatley Sharks lived up to the billing early on Tuesday night. Both teams exchanged goals in the first period with Carter Dembinski getting his 6th of the season for Essex and Sylvain Lessard finding the back of the net for Wheatley.
Both teams exchanged powerplay goals as Liam Hall scored on a one-time pass from captain Gabe Piccolo at 1:07 of the second. Shannon Olson, with his 8th of the season, tied it up at 4:44. Luke Sherk then went to work. He made a pretty pass around a sprawling across the crease to a streaking Gabe Barrette and then fed Liam Hall on a 2-on-1 for his second of the game at 14:30 to give Essex a 4-2 lead. Karson Beuglet notched a powerplay marker for his first of the season finishing a cross ice pass from Connor McCracken to close out the period.
Issac Legood scored for Wheatley at 1:13 of the third but that's as close as the Sharks go as the 73's won 5-3. Essex moves into sole possession of first in the Stobbs Division with a 5-0 record. Wheatley drops to second at 4-2-1. Blenheim is in third at 4-0 while Lakeshore (3-1) moves into a 4th place tie with Mooretown (3-2) beating Dresden 8-0.
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Check out tonight's highlights.