Written by Barry Culmer
The Legion Peewee Kinucks great season continued over the weekend when they swept the Strathroy Junior Rockets in the OMHA semi-finals. On Friday 26 February they made a snowy journey to Strathroy for the opening game against the Junior Rockets who they had beaten in the International Silver Stick Finals. After a close first period with good work in net by Joey Doyle and strong penalty killing by Kincardine holding the score at 0-0, Strathroy jumped into a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes of the second. Kincardine supporters had their worry beads out but our boys like nothing better than a deficit to go at and by the end of the period had stormed back to lead 3-2. Garrett McFadden scored the first from Shane Vollmer and Kurt Dunsbier. Less than a minute later Shane Vollmer fired home from Ethan Long. Ethan Skinner had the Kincardine fans on their feet five minutes from the end of the period with the goal to take the lead, assisted by Shane Vollmer. The Kinucks controlled the third period until Strathroy scored two minutes from time. That fired the Legion boys up for overtime when they struck the winner two minutes in from Garrett McFadden, the assist going to Scott McFarlan.
Now the boys had home ice advantage for the next two games on Saturday 27 February and Sunday 28 February. Game two was another tight one between two closely matched teams but with the Kinucks just having the edge. Ethan Long scored in the first period from Shane Vollmer before Strathroy tied it in the second. An exciting third period saw Kincardine take the lead again only for Strathroy to pull it back to 2-2 a minute later. Ethan Long fired his second goal two and a half minutes from the buzzer for a 3-2 lead. The Kinucks then did a great job keeping the puck in the Strathroy end to take the win and a 2-0 series lead.
So Strathroy came back to the Davidson on Sunday for a must win game. Kincardine cranked up the atmosphere with the sound system, their trademark clackers and Paula’s bell! It proved to be barnstormer. Both teams attacked hard and fast in the first, the period ending with the Kinuck’s circling around the Strathroy net leading to a lovely set up for a Scott McFarlan goal, assisted by Garrett McFadden and Sam Culmer. Four minutes into the second, Garrett McFadden opened up a 2-0 Kinucks lead, from Ethan Skinner. Strathroy continued to threaten with some nice passing and strong forward play and pulled one back before a great Joey Doyle save on a penalty shot kept the Kinucks lead at 2-1. The game became chippy with penalties flying in the final five minutes of the period, Strathroy taking advantage on a power play to tie the game up just under two minutes from the end.
Despite some excellent plays and a five on three advantage at one point, the Kinucks couldn’t break Strathroy’s resistance in the third. With scores tied at 2-2, the Legion boys went into overtime on the power play but then immediately found themselves on the penalty kill. That was no handicap though, with Ethan Skinner bringing the house down with an unassisted goal two minutes in for a 3-2 win and a 3-0 series victory. Next up the OMHA final series which will be between the winners of the semi-final currently being played between Port Colborne and Wasaga Beach. Another great achievement boys – keep on rolling!