The Soo Greyhounds ended their five-game road swing the way it began -- with hard fought victory over a division opponent.
It's the middle stretch of the road trip the team would like to forget about.
After the Greyhounds opened the trip with a 3-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires last Thursday, the team lost three straight games to Plymouth, London and Saginaw.
On Friday night, Thessalon product Jacob King ensured a happier bus ride home by lifting the Greyhounds to a 2-1 victory over the Sarnia Sting with a late third period goal to snap a 1-1 tie.
Rookie goaltender Kyle Gajewski had a solid game in net for the Greyhounds and stopped 40 of the 41 Sarnia shots he faced in being named the game's third star. The Greyhounds fired 34 shots at Sting netminder Ryan Munce.
Jeff Larsh gave the Hounds a 1-0 lead just 1:19 into the game on a feed from Jeff Carter, who was named the game's first star.
Sting star Danny Fritsche, the game's second star, dressed for just the first time this season and made his presence known with a goal 59 seconds into the second period to tie the game at 1-1.
After nearly 30 minutes of scoreless action, King scored the game winner from Andrew Desjardins with 5:28 remaining in regulation time.
The Greyhounds sealed the win after killing a Brad Good minor penalty received 24 seconds after King's marker.
The win improves the locals record to 10-12-3 for 23 points and moves the club into second place in the Ontario Hockey League's West Division. The Hounds sit four points back of the Spitfires with two games in hand.
The Greyhounds begin a four-game home stand on Sunday at Memorial Gardens against the Guelph Storm beginning at 7 p.m.