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Sports Oakville Beaver AURORA -- They're all of hardworking, young, energetic, skilled, deep and cohesive. But the best adjective to describe this year's collection of Oakville Blades might be resilient. The Blades wrote another chapter in their storybook season Monday in Aurora, advancing to their first Provincial Junior A Hockey League championship series in team history with a 4-3 overtime victory over the defending national champion Tigers. Oakville will open the league final against the South Conference champion Markham Waxers this weekend. Dustin Alcock was the hero for Oakville Monday, pouncing on a turnover in the Aurora zone and snapping a quick shot past Tigers netminder Aaron Barton 9:40 into the extra session, giving the Blades a 4-2 series victory. "I was just fortunate. The puck popped up and hit me in the head," said the 18-year-old Alcock, explaining how he ended up on a breakaway. "I just shot it -- there was an open hole on the glove side just above his pad -- and I'm lucky it went in." Controversial ending Alcock's goal came only eight minutes after the Tigers had appeared to win the game themselves, as Aurora captain Mark Thorburn deflected a rising point shot past Blades goaltender Scott Greenham. Referee Brent Holdsworth waved off the goal immediately, however, ruling the puck was touched with a high stick. "I had no idea," Thorburn said when asked if the thought even crossed his mind that the goal would be disallowed. "I don't think it was a high stick and a lot of guys said on the (Aurora cable broadcast) it wasn't a high stick, but the ref I guess saw it differently." Or perhaps the Blades were simply due for some good luck. Despite the team's on-ice success (39-6-4 in regular-season play, including a 20-game winning streak), this year has been a trying one for the young squad. After preparing for the year not knowing for certain if they even had a home rink to play in, the Blades grieved the passing of long-time assistant equipment manager Jean Lachaine, watched forward Domenic Monardo -- their leading scorer at the time -- break his neck in Hamilton, SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008 23 Blades headed to first-ever Jr. A final Hard work, resiliency continues to pay off as Oakville ousts defending national champs and lost one of their top defencemen, Trevor Eckenswiller, just before the trade deadline. But that adversity might have only served to strengthen the team's resolve and provide motivation, captain Chris Corbeil said. "This is such a tight-knit group of guys. When one guy isn't pulling his weight, we're able to call him out and get everybody on board," said the local resident. "We never get too down on each other. We always keep the faith, no matter how tough the going gets. This team is always going to battle. As long as there's time on the clock, we're going to play it out." That's exactly what the Blades did throughout their series against the Tigers, particularly in Game 4 Friday. Needing a victory to tie the series 22, the Tigers raced out to a 3-0 lead. Oakville didn't quit, however, as two goals by Julian Cimadamore brought the Blades within one and Jeremy Welsh scored the equalizer with 48 seconds remaining in regulation. Kellan Lain then provided the winner 10:28 into overtime, giving Oakville control of the series. The following night at River Oaks Recreation Centre (the Blades' usual home rink, Joshua's Creek Arenas, was unavailable), Aurora again jumped out to a 3-0 advantage. Hoping to finish the series on home ice, the Blades outshot the Tigers 29-11 over the final two periods and got a pair of goals by Chris Haltigin, eventually falling 3-2. "Even though (Aurora) won that game, we battled back and felt we had the momentum (going into Game 6)," said Blades forward Luke Moodie. Monday, Oakville scored first for only the second time in the series, as Welsh batted a fluttering puck that went over the shoulder of Barton less than three minutes into the game. However, Thorburn scored twice in the second period to give the Tigers the lead, the second goal coming after many of the Blades thought Greenham had the puck covered and the whistle should have blown. Again, the Blades responded. Welsh tied the game 42 seconds later on a goalmouth setup from Geoff Guimond, and Moodie put Oakville in the lead with 4:47 to go in the period, tipping home a point blast by Scott Judson. Aurora's Cody Smith tied the game MIKE BARRETT / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ON TARGET: Oakville Blades forward Geoff Guimond (in blue) fires a puck at the Aurora goal while Tigers defenceman Nick Novak looks on Monday in Aurora. Dustin Alcock scored in overtime to lift the Blades to a 43 victory, advancing the club to the first Provincial Junior A Hockey League championship series in its history. 3-3 at the 6:06 mark of the third. Moodie, Judson and Julian Cimadamore were part of the Oakville team two years ago that came painfully close to advancing to the league final. The Blades had a 3-1 series lead on Stouffville, but the Spirit rallied for three straight victories. After losing Game 5 Saturday, Moodie said he had brief flashbacks to 2006, but knew this year would be different. "It kind of crossed my mind, but this is a different group of guys. We're more of a team, and I thought we'd pull this one out," said Moodie, whose brother, Lane, was also on the 2006 team and whose father, Ken, is a former Blades player and coach. "I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if history had repeated itself." The Blades celebrated their North/West championship Monday night, but the party was a shortlived one. Oakville now has its sights set on a league title and a trip to the Dudley Hewitt Cup, with only Markham standing in its way. The Blades will have home ice advantage in the series. "Of all the years I've coached hockey, this is the hardest-working team. Some days I'm good to them and sometimes I'm hard, and they always seem to respond to it and step up to the plate," said Oakville head coach Carlo Coccimiglio. "I'm proud of these guys. They've worked real hard." NOTES: Haltigin had five points (two goals, three assists) in the final three games of the series, and led Oakville scorers with seven points in the six games... Welsh just missed winning Monday's game in regulation, ringing a shot off the outside of the goalpost with less than four minutes left... Blades forward Kyle Badham steamrolled Aurora's Mike McLaughlin with a thunderous hit in the overtime, sending McLaughlin staggering to the Aurora bench... Oakville outshot Aurora 44-32 Monday, and 37-22 Saturday.