MARTINS BIKE SHOP MIDGETS ELIMINATE COLLINGWOOD BLACKHAWKS 3-1 IN OMHA PLAYDOWNS
Although Collingwood was able to force game 4
back in Collingwood Saturday night, the Storm proved they deserved to go on to
the OMHA Quarter Finals.
Game one was a nail biter from the drop off the
puck. Brett Coulson scored unassisted just over 3 minutes into the game.
Collingwood battled back to tie it up halfway through the frame on a power play
goal. Nick Goreski redeemed himself when earned the go ahead goal with help from
Cory MacDonald and Jake Colley at the 1 minute mark of the period.
The second period was end to end action with
Jordan Kelly turning away many opportunities for Collingwood to tie it up. With
a little more than a minute left, they managed to do just that.
The final frame had everyone on the edge of their
seats as both teams fought hard for the victory. Collingwood struck first with
less than five minutes left in the game but Ian MacKay dashed their hopes with a
slapshot from the point 15 seconds later and forced an overtime period that saw
Coulson send a fluttering puck into the back of the net to secure the
win.
The second game in Collingwood was a terrible
display of home town reffing which worked as Collingwood secured the victory
with a 5-2 win over the Storm. Scoring for the Storm were Hayden Burke and Nick
Goreski. Brett McCulloch was in net for the Storm.
Collingwood returned to the Plex for game 3 and a
fair chance at victory. The first period was another back and forth affair but
the Blackhawks scored first less than 2 minutes on a power play opportunity.
Dave Mercer tied it up during the Storm's first power play 4 minutes later, on a
rushing pass from Coulson but the visitors evened the score minutes later on
another power play. This seemed to be the only way to score as Mercer got the go
ahead unassisted on the next power play minutes later to end the scoring before
the buzzer.
Captain Aaron George added a single on a set
up from Brett Esplen during the first shift of the second period. Mercer earned
the hat trick 4 minutes later with assists going to Coulson and Burke. This
would end the scoring for the period even though both tenders stopped a lot of
rubber.
MacKay added some more insurance early in the
third when a Blackhawk set him up perfectly on a short handed clearing
attempt.
A dying second goal by Collingwood wasn't enough
to put them in the win column. Jordan Kelly was in net for the home
team.
Although the return to Collingwood for game game 4 was dreaded, the Storm dominated from start to finish
and struck first in the last minute of the first frame with George picking up
his first of the game, unassisted on a penalty kill. George struck again less
than halfway through the second on a passing effort from Tom Godwin and
MacKay.
Collingwood was able to muster one past Brett
McCulloch a couple of minutes later, but that was all they'd get past him in
this series.
Goreski netted an insurance goal mid way through
the final period of this match with assists going to Colley and
Mercer.
The Storm advance to the quarter finals and will
play the winner of Huntsville and Parry Sound.