London Knights complete pre-season with loss in Sarnia

Matthew Manza scored twice and Chase Gaughan had a four-point night as they Sarnia Sting downed the London Knights 7-1 to close out the pre-season for both teams.

A very young and inexperienced Knights team hung with the Sting into the second period but were outlasted in the end as London finished the pre-season 2-4.

The Knights also finished the pre-season waiting to see which players might return after NHL Rookie camps to be ready for opening night against the Windsor Spitfires at Canada Life Place on Friday, Sept. 18.

Right now 11 players from the Knights pre-season roster remain away.

Manza was one of the best players on the Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia all game long .
He got the scoring going with his fourth goal of the pre-season on a power play with exactly one minute remaining in the opening period. Manza found the top corner on Charlie Weiss of London who turned aside 11 of 13 shots in his period and a half of play.

Brian Cooke played the second half of the game for London and faced more work as Sarnia wore the young Knights down.

Cooke stopped 21 of 26 shots in the game.

Owen Miniotas scored London’s lone goal when he was rewarded for a hard-working shoft. Miniotas won two board battles and then went to the front of the net where he tipped a shot past Kale Osioenko in the Sting net.

Osipenko played both games of the home and home between the teams and was named the game’s third star in the back half of the quick exhibition series.

Sarnia scored six unanswered goals from there. Two of them came from Londoner Myles Dunn who was an 8th round selection by the Sting in 2025.

Dunn had made it clear he was unhappy with his training camp performance a year ago and made sure he got noticed this season with three goals in the two games against the Knights.

Cameron Aucoin and Tyler Challnger had the other goals for the Sting.

Sarnia outshot London 39-25.