OMHA Playoffs
Cement
Midgets deliver in pivotal game six
Now playing Strathroy in next OMHA playoff
series
By Pat Payton and Stewart Grant
In a hard-fought series that went the distance, the Cement ‘BB’ Midgets were the last team standing on Monday night at the PRC. It took a complete team effort as the No. 3 seed Rock defeated the No. 2 seed Dorchester Dragons by a score of 4-0, thus advancing to the next round of the OMHA playoffs. The two previous games had each ended in overtime, with a game four tie (3-3) and a game five 2-1 win by Dorchester.
In Monday’s final, Keegan Nethercott opened the scoring with a powerplay goal in the first period, converting on a nice tic-tac-toe from teammates Nathan Reay and defenceman George Hensel.
Thomas Kiestra was in the right place to capitalize on a fortunate bounce in front of the net, making the score 2-0 through two periods of play.
Dorchester applied great pressure to open the third, but goaltender Aaron Waugh and his defensive unit were equal to the task.
“Aaron definitely kept us in it,” said coach Brent Rae. “He stood tall, always making the first save...the key was that they weren’t getting second and third opportunities, which is where they were getting their goals earlier in the series. The defence was clearing the front of the net and getting those pucks out.”
The Rock bolstered their lead as the third period continued. Mason Boonstra scored on a shot from the point through traffic, then captain Reay made it 4-0 on a great individual effort, making a move past a Dragons defenceman and going top shelf to beat the goaltender.
Shots on goal were 35-27 in favour of Dorchester. “Aaron definitely earned the shutout,” added coach Rae.
“Right from Aaron out, everyone probably played their best game of the season. The little things that we’ve been preaching out like winning the walls, getting pucks out, getting pucks deep...those little things that don’t appear on the scoresheet. That’s what paid off in the end.”
Dorchester had extended the series to a deciding game with a 2-1 overtime victory on home ice.
The Cement Midgets begin their next OMHA series on the road against the Strathroy Jr. Rockets this Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. Game two of the best-of-five series is back in St. Marys at 8:45 p.m. on Monday night.
