Raiders grab 2-0 series lead-- for the second time

Heading into their best-of-7 OHA Provincial Jr. A Hockey League quarterfinal series with Burlington, the Georgetown Raiders knew it would be difficult to defeat the Cougars four times, but they didn't realize they'd actually have to post five wins to eliminate them. The fourth-place Raiders, who finished just a point ahead of the Cougars in the final regular season standings, still lead the series 2-0 after a 6-5 home win in game three on Wednesday evening, with Matt Carter notching the clinching score with only four seconds left in the third period. However, the result of game two Monday night in Burlington has yet to be decided, as an incorrect officials' call erased what the Raiders thought was a thrilling last-second 4-3 comeback victory. Burlington's management protested game two's outcome, pointing out correctly that referee Mike Bolibruck should not have allowed a second-period goal scored by Georgetown's George Lovatsis that tied the game at two. Raider defenceman Matt Thomson was judged by the Burlington timekeeper to have left the penalty box prior to the expiration of his two-minute minor for slashing, but Bolibruck couldn't be informed of the second infraction until the next stoppage in play, which was Lovatsis's goal. The league ruled on Wednesday morning, just hours before game three was to be played at Alcott Arena, that Jeremy Whelan's apparent game two winning goal at 19:59 of the third period was wiped out and that the balance of Monday's contest will now be replayed tonight (Friday) at Burlington's Central Arena. The game, which will start at 7:30 p.m., will begin with 7:04 remaining in the second period, that's not hockey, but that's okay, we should be good to go Friday." No doubt more than one Raider nearly choked on his pre-game meal Wednesday afternoon upon hearing the news of Burlington's successful game two protest, so it wasn't much of a surprise that the hosts coughed up two gift goals to the Cougars in the opening 2:49 of game three. Down 3-0 in the first intermission, the Raiders came out a different team in the second with Keaton Hartigan replacing Marc Stuart in goal, overwhelming Cougar netminder Eddie Davey with five goals in 7:49 to grab the lead. Lovatsis (2), Jon Southgate, Whelan and Wade Finegan accounted for the scoring barrage. "Before the game, the guys were really bitter and despondent," added the 19year-old Carter, who has four goals in the series and 27 in the regular season. "We couldn't get anything going in the first period. No bounces, calls weren't going our way. That's when you just have to drive through it and we came back and played our hearts out." But the Cougars, who outshot Georgetown 34-29, including 17-8 in the third period, came back to tie the game early in the final frame with Oliver Wren in goal. The Raiders did generate some excellent scoring chances, although overtime again seemed at hand before another late-period defensive collapse by the Cougars led to Carter's goal. Game six, if necessary, would be played Tuesday in Burlington, and game seven is scheduled for Georgetown at 8 p.m. Wednesday. In the other West Division series, firstplace Brampton leads Milton 2-1, while Oakville and Hamilton are up 3-0 on Mississauga and Streetsville, respectively.

If Burlington goalie Eddie Davey did wear leg socks they might have been misplaced by this George Lovatsis (55) deke during a furious Georgetown Raider scoring flurry in the second period of Wednesday night's playoff game at the Alcott Arena. The Raiders trailed 3-0 after the first period before striking for five goals in just under eight minutes in the middle frame, yet they still needed more late-game dramatics to pull off a 6-5 victory. Georgetown leads the best-of-7 series 2-0.