Vikings Tie Series, Game 5 In Richmond Sunday Afternoon
It’s down to a best of three series to see who moves on to play for the Barkley Cup., symbolic of Eastern Ontario Junior B hockey supremacy.
The Casselman Vikings got a 26-save shutout performance from Mael Gendron as they blanked the Richmond Royals 3-0 Saturday night. The Vikings tied up their Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League semi-final series 2-2 with Game 5 set for Sunday afternoon (March 26) in Richmond at 1:20 p.m.
On Saturday, the Royals had an early power play, but after that there was a parade of white jerseys heading to the penalty box. Richmond had 32 minutes in penalties to Cassleman’s 14 minutes. The Royals’ penalty killing unit successfully kept the Vikings off the scoreboard nine times. However, the Royals were not able to gain very much offensive momentum throughout the game.
After a scoreless first period, the Vikings finally beat Royals’ goalie Gabe Arrigo twice in the second period. Affiliate call-up Cedric Hughes scored first with Alexis Lafrance adding another.
The Vikings continued to pressure the Royals in the third period. With the Richmond net empty, Lafrance potted an empty netter for his second of the game to make the final score 3-0.
Lafrance had two goals and an assist, while Hughes had a goal and two helpers. For the Royals, Arrigo turned in a strong performance, stopping 43 of 45 shots.
Double OT
The Royals jumped into a 2-1 series lead Thursday in Cassleman with a 3-2 win in double overtime.
The teams exchanged power play goals in the first 40 minutes, with Sheldon Lyons scoring for the Royals from Tyler Cutts and Ryan Sullivan in the first, and Marc-Olivier McCarthy scoring in the second period for the Vikings.
Shane Sullivan put the Royals ahead 2-1 with a power play goal from Sam McElheran just 32 seconds into the third period. The Vikings, who peppered Arrigo with 18 shots in the third as the Royals were assessed five straight minor penalties in an eight-minute span in the period. With 4:47 left in the third period, Lafrance netted the tying goal.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Shane Sullivan scored an unassisted power play goal to give the Royals a 3-2 win. Arrigo stopped 50 of 52 shots for the win.
Vikings Win Game 2
After the Royals won Game 1, the Vikings bounced back with a 3-2 Game 2 win in Richmond Wednesday.
After a scoreless second period, Kyle Filion scored twice to put the Vikings ahead 2-0 in the second.
With less than a minute left in the period, Dylan Rorwick scored his first of the playoffs from Jaidon Genereux and Shane Sullivan to make the score 2-1.
Deklyn Campbell scored midway through the third to restore Cassleman’s two-goal lead. The Royals got one back with Reid Johnston scoring from Sam McElheran with 16 seconds left to play, but it was too little, too late as the Vikings tied the series with a 1-1 win.
