Golden Hawks climb back into OJHL final with gritty win
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The Trenton Golden Hawks climbed back into their Ontario Junior Hockey League Buckland Cup championship series with the defending champion Collingwood Blues Monday at the Community Gardens, scraping out a 5-4 win.
After dropping the first two games of the best-of-seven series last weekend in Collingwood, the Golden Hawks got off to another slow start, as for the third straight game the Blues scored in the opening minute.
Mark McIntosh connected from Landon Wright and Cameron Eke just 30 seconds into the contest. They made it 2-0 at 2:48 when Eke scored on the power play from Dylan Hudon and Calum Chau.
Lucas LaPalm cut Collingwood’s lead in half when he scored on the power play from David Fournier and Barret Joynt.
However, Spencer Young scored from Jack Rimmer at 13:35 and the Blues had restored their two-goal advantage.
Just 30 seconds later Sami Douglas-Najem scored his first goal of the postseason, converting a Matthew Lee and Thomas Kuipers passing play. Fournier then tied it 3-3 when he scored from Joynt and Ryan Cutler with 33 seconds left in the opening frame.
Owen Wilson gave Trenton the lead with the lone goal of the second period when he was set up by Taeo Artichuk and Kyloe Ellis at 6:55.
The Blues tied it 4:15 into the third period when Young scored unassisted. However, Fournier notched the game winner with his second of the game at 10:44, with assists to Corbin Roach and Jamie Darlison.
Benjamin Bonisteel stopped 30 of 34 Collingwood shots for the win, while Noah Poak turned aside 30 of 35 Trenton shots in taking the loss.
Game 4 was played Wednesday at the Gardens, but results weren’t available at press time. Game 5 will be played Friday at 7 p.m. in Collingwood, with Game 6, if necessary, back in Trenton Monday at 7:30 p.m. A seventh and deciding game is slated for Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. in Collingwood.
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