After a Bluewater playoff record of 4 wins and 4 losses, the Kent Minor Bantam Cobras found themselves facing the #1 seed Windsor Jr Spitfires in the Bluewater semi-final game.
The Cobras sustained some quality pressure in the first period but the Spitfires opened the scoring with a breaking winger’s snapshot that bounced off the glove of Kent netminder, Owen Lemieux.
In the second period, Brody Fraleigh evened the score 1-1 with a wrist shot from the left circle after the Cobras forced the Spitfires to cough the puck up in their own zone.
The Cobras would take the lead after intermission when Aidan Fitzmorris won a zone clearing battle and chipped the puck out to Notah Hopkins. Hopkins would take the puck the length of the ice and set up Fraleigh for his second goal of the game. Owen Lemieux made several huge saves during the killing of a 4 minute penalty in the middle of the 3rd period. Unfortunately shortly after the PK, the Spitfires notched the game 2-2 with only 4:19 to play. This was the way regulation would conclude.
After a 5 minute 4 on 4 OT the game still remained tied and a shootout would determine the victor.
The Cobras started the shootout with 3 consecutive goals from Martin Boughner, Ian Campbell, and Fraleigh. Lemieux stopped 2 of 3 in the same time frame. One more goal or one more save would clinch it for Kent. After a failed 4th goal attempt by the Cobras, Lemieux claimed victory with his 3rd save of the shootout!! The upset was complete.
The team will now face Tecumseh in the Bluewater gold medal game on Saturday April 1st at 4 pm in Belle River (ATC - The Rock).
Awesome team effort Cobras!!