Story by Paul Svoboda
A week ago, things looked grim for the Tweed Oil Kings. Not now.
Down 2-0 in their best-of-five NPHL Western Conference semi-final playoff series to the regular-season champion Smiths Falls Rideaus, the Tweedsters battled back with consecutive wins of their own last weekend to knot the affair and force a fifth and deciding game. Kings counted weekend wins of 7-4 in Smiths Falls and a 6-5 O.T. thriller at home to set the table for the winner-take-all showdown.
Meanwhile, the Deseronto Bulldogs are through to the conference finals after grounding the Durham Hawks 3-1 in their best-of-five semi-final set. After splitting the first two games, Bulldogs won two in a row last weekend — 2-1 at Deseronto, then a 9-1 spanking at Durham — to advance.
KINGS 6, RIDEAUS 5
Elijah Brahaney was the overtime hero for Tweed in Game 4, scoring the game-winner from his brother, Jakob, and Colin Van Den Herk after the visitors had tied the tilt late in the third period.
During regulation time, Jakob Brahaney (2), Dylan Ingram, Nathan Burrelle and Brody Morris scored for Tweed while Evan Morrison stopped 25 shots for the W in net. Morrison’s teammates fired 55 shots at Smiths Falls netminder Dallas Slack.
KINGS 7, RIDEAUS 4
Less than 24 hours earlier, Tweed tallied three straight times in the final stages of the final frame to defeat the home team and stay alive in the series. A balanced Oil King attack saw goals come from seven different skaters: Dylan Ingram, Colin Van Den Herk, Douglas Little, Joseph Crothers, Elijah Brahaney, Matt Lowry and Isaac Brown. Shots favoured Tweed, 51-40, with Evan Morrison posting the win in net for the Kings.
Date and time for Game 5 has yet to be announced.
BULLDOGS 9, HAWKS 1
A determined Deseronto team scored the game’s first six goals and never looked back as the Bulldogs wrapped up the series with a lopsided road win. Luc Brown (2), Nathan Hudgin (2), Jonny Hill, William Harrison, Mitch Gustavsen, Jordon Cannons and Austin Eastman supplied the Deseronto goals. Shots were 52-36 for the Bulldogs; Aaron Young registered the win in net.
BULLDOGS 2, HAWKS 1
A much closer affair in Game 3 at Deseronto saw all three goals come in Period 1. Alex Tonge and William Harrison (GW) had the Bulldog markers. The two teams combined for a whopping 117 shots (Deseronto 74, Durham 43) with Aaron Young in the crease for the Bulldogs.
Deseronto now awaits the winner of Tweed vs. Smiths Falls in the Western Conference final, which will also be a best-of-five affair.
NEED TO KNOW: Perennial powerhouse North Dundas Rockets are through to the Eastern Conference final. They await the winner of Madawaska Valley vs. Manotick who are tied 2-2 in their semi-final series.
