Drayton blanks Floradale to stay in series
DRAYTON 3 - FLORADALE 0
For the second straight game, Drayton faced elimination but came up winners.
Although the team was shorthanded for most of the game, netminder Kevin Ottens held back a flurry of shots to earn his shutout and give his team a chance to repeat as ‘A’ Division Nichols Trophy winners.
Drayton opened the game with a goal late in the first period. Herman Mulder and Rob DeWeerd worked the puck around the net and left Chad Reinders with a rebound. Reinders snapped the puck into the open corner for the goal.
Drayton added a second goal early in the second after Brent Dekoning blasted a screened shot through a crowd that deflected off the shaft of Dave Mulder’s stick.
A short-handed goal to start the third period put the game away for Drayton. Reinders sent Eric Deckers away with a breakaway rush. Deckers sent the puck into the top corner to assure the victory.
Ottens turned away 51 shots.
The win ties the best-of-five series 2-2. The ‘A’ Division champions will be decided on April 7 at 8:30pm at the Listowel Arena.
