by Tyler Major-Mcnicol
Special to The Review
Game 5 – Casselman Vikings 4 vs. Perth Blue Wings 3 – Tuesday, April 26
Home ice has gone out the window in the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL) finals.
Casselman forward Marc-Olivier McCarthy broke the hearts of Perth Blue Wings fans with an unassisted tally at 3:46 of the first overtime period, as the Vikings took a 4-3 road win in Perth, in a series in which the visiting team has now won all five games. The win gives the Vikings a three games to two lead in the finals, and a chance to clinch the EOJHL championship on home ice this Thursday (April 28).
The Vikings came out in the first period firing on all cylinders. Pozzebon opened the scoring for his squad at 11:54, before Nicholas Lankester put the Vikings up by two goals with 2:45 to go in the first. Shots favoured Casselman 17-14 heading into the intermission.
After Vikings’ forward Nico Pozzebon put Casselman up 3-1 with his second goal of the game with 14:08 to go in the second frame, the Blue Wings battled back with two unanswered goals to force sudden-death overtime. But after allowing a third goal against with 30 seconds to go in the second period, netminder Zachari Racine locked the door and threw away the key – turning aside all 13 third-period shots the Perth Blue Wings fired his way and another two in overtime.
McCarthy was awarded first star honours for his overtime heroics, while Pozzebon’s two-goal effort earned him third star. Racine stopped 42 of 45 shots he faced for the win.
