The KMHA Minor Bantams defeated the Lasalle Sabres on Monday night in a do or die game to advance in OMHA playdowns.
The 4 point series started Friday night with a heart-breaking 4-3 OT defeat. The Cobras rallied in the 3rd period with a couple goals to take a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately, the last minute hockey demon victimized the team AGAIN! They gave up the tying goal with 2 seconds remaining in the game. The Sabres would go on to take the OT win. Martin Boughner accounted for all team scoring with a hatty...one of which included a sweet dangle on a penalty shot. Assists went to Brody Fraleigh, Zach McKinlay-Hultgren, Cole Tetreault, and Notah Hopkins.
On Saturday in game 2 the Cobras put together the comeback of the season!!! The Sabres began the match with 4 straight goals. With the season end seeming imminent and nothing going their way, the Cobras had every reason to throw in the towel. BUT belief and resiliency prevailed!!!!! The team fought back to a 4-2 deficit by the end of the second period and you could feel the tables turning. The boys hounded the Lasalle defense throughout the 3rd period causing turnover after turnover and sniped 4 more goals including Zach’s empty netter. Owen Lemieux came off the bench to secure our victory. Team scoring came from Boughner G(2), McKinlay-Hultgren G(1) A(1), Caley Whiteye G(1) A(1), Caleb Tryon G(1), Tadhg Copeland G(1), Cole Tetreault A(1), Reid Goodburn A(1), Will McCracken A(1), Brody Fraleigh A(1).
On Monday in the deciding game the Cobras frustrated the Sabres with strong defense giving up very few quality scoring chances. Lasalle started the game scoring in the 1st period as a player batted a puck out of the air into the goal behind Lemieux. The Cobras would respond with a goal of the their own before the end of the first by Notah Hopkins, assisted by Caleb Tryon. They would take the lead midway through the second on sweet goal by Ian Campbell through a screening Adam Ross assisted by Brody Fraleigh. The Cobras, lead by Lemieux would then lock down the Sabres and hold onto the 2-1 victory!
The boys will now advance to a 6 point series with the Belle River Canadiens starting on Thursday night. Great team effort Cobras!!