The Minto Mad Dog Reps split games one & two of their OMHA Semi-Final.
Game # 1 between the Minto and Lakefield Bantams went Saturday night in Harriston. It was a hard fought and fast paced game with each team getting scoring chances early but neither goaltender would give any ground in the first period.
Midway through the second Lakefield caught Minto napping and put the visitors up one nothing. Late in the second Brett Cowan received a vicious check from behind putting the team Captain out of the game with a lower back injury which sent him to Hospital for x-rays. The Minto boys worked hard on the power play that ensued but couldn’t hit the net with quality shots sending them to the dressing room down by one.
Minto was killing a penalty of their own early in the third when Lakefield made it two nothing. Minto lost its second defenseman of the game when Ryan Diniz blocked a shot on the PK and was also forced to leave the game. The adversity seemed to spark the Minto club as Devin Williams finally solved the Lakefield goaltender on a pass from Ryan Binkle. The boys played hard from there on but couldn’t get that equalizer goal and lost the opener 2 – 1.
Game two went Sunday night in Lakefield (20 Minutes north of Peterborough). Being a little banged up and having to shuffle the lineup due to injury seemed to motivate the boys. The three hour drive didn’t seem to bother them either as they struck first blood early in the first when Ryan Binkle scored from Devin Williams and Denver Hill on an early power play. Midway through the frame Lakefield got one of their own on the power play. Curtis Shorey then put Minto ahead for the second time on great individual effort with Brett Cowan getting the helper. Lakefield again battled back scoring another to tie things at two and it looked like that was how the period would end but Minto took advantage of their second power play of the night when Brett Cowan fed Ryan Binkle for a onetimer out in front, to put the boys up 3 -2, Cole Leslie also had an assist on the goal.
The score would remain the same through the second period but with 5 minutes left in the third Minto would add their third power play goal of the night when Cole Leslie banged home a Devin Williams rebound and shortly after that Devin Williams would get one of his own unassisted to give Minto the 5 – 2 win.
Game three in the series goes Friday night at 6:30pm in Harriston, game five will go Sunday at 5:00pm in Clifford if necessary. Be sure to check out www.mintominorhockey.ca for more details.