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By John B. McClelland The Port Perry MoJacks have won the Central Ontario Junior C League championship for the third time in five years, knocking off the Little Britain Merchants four games to one. It was anything but easy as Mike Coulson potted a goal in sud- den death overtime to give MoJacks a 6-5 win and send them into the all-Ontario quarter finals against the Emestown Jets. Game one in this series goes Friday (March 20) in Port Perry at 8:30 PM with game two in Emestown Sunday at 7:15. Last Thursday's heart thumper between the Merchants and MoJacks in front of a near sell-out crowd at the Scugog Arena was a tough, grind-it-out affair in which the lead changed hands three dif- ferent times. Tied 5-5 after regulation, the teams went through a 10-minute overtime still dead-locked. Most of the fans had barely settled back into their seats for the sudden death OT when Coulson struck to end the game and the series. In fact, OT was just 18 seconds old when Coulson took a pass from John Lally, moved smartly down the left side and using Lally as a decoy on the two on one, drilled a low shot to the comer that se¢med to catch Merchant goalie Kevin Petrovski slightly off bal- ance. Perhaps he was expecting Coulson to pass to Lally, some- thing the MoJacks had been doing all game. But Coulson had spotted a nar- row opening inside the left post, and it took a perfect shot along the ice to beat Petrovski. Ironically, just before the teams took to the ice for the sudden death OT, this writer asked Coulson if he was going to get the winner. He smiled, winked and said "yea, and quickly." The jubilant MoJacks celebrat- ed on the ice as Central Ontario Jr. C convenor Andy McLachlan pre- Clalr Cornish and the Merchants' Steve Roberts exchange hand- shakes at the conclusion of the game. sented acting captain Troy English with the Cobourg Cougars Trophy, symbolic of the League champi- onship. This was the third time in five years McLachlan has made this presentation to a MoJack cap- H ' Though the series loss was a bitter one for the Little Britain squad, the players ined on the in a Clair Comish pass while slid- ing into the goal crease. And three minutes later, Cornish took a fine pass mear centre from Trevor Mcintyre to break in alone on the" Merchant net. But the period ended 2-2 as Jeff Adams ripped a shot from the left side that beat Ian Cooper cleanly. h out-shot MoJacks ice to offer congratulations to the MoJacks. Certainly, the Merchants had no reason to hang their heads. They pushed the MoJacks to the limit and most observers feel that any or all of the final three games in this series could have gone either way as the MoJack margin of victory was one goal in these games. And these teams split right down the middle in the eight regu- lar season games. The Merchants opened the scor- ing at 7:04 of the first with a two "man advantage as Steve Trumbull swept in a big rebound. John Lally evened things up at 15:12 tipping 18-7 in the first frame. MolJacks started the second with two players in the box and with ten seconds left in the penal- ty, Blaine Harris put Merchant ahead 3-2 with a blast from the left point. But two minutes later, Jim Vemon snapped home a rebound after Brian Shelfoon took a shot from the point after keeping the puck in at the line. And at 5:45, Coulson popped in a rebound after Comish had worked into the clear. The teams traded goals late in the period as Jody Keenan con- nected on a three on one break for the Merchants and McIntyre wired The MoJacks were a happy bunch of guys after ed Junior C leave championship trophy at knocking off the Merchants and receiving the g Arena last Th y night. Modacks win a heart fumper one from the face-off circle on the power play for a 5-4 MoJack lead. Midway through the third, Keenan with his second of the night tied things at 5-5 on a shot that Cooper stopped, only to have the puck dribble into the crease and over the line. That was the only mistake Cooper made all game, and it set the stage for the overtime and Coulson's lightning- like winner after 70 minutes and 18 seconds of hockey. SLAPSHOTS: Clair Cornish , played inspired hockey in this series with four goals and 12 assists in five games. Coulson had 11 points and John Lally with five goals and seven assists is playing his finest hockey of the season. Scott Erickson also had a fine series with five goals and three assists. And give a lot of credit to the MoJack defense of Barr, Shelfoon, Puckrin, English, Kavanagh, Cochrane, and McIntyre who had to cope with the big, strong Little Britain forwards who play a tough, physical brand of hockey. Coach Ken Harman did a mas- terful job matching lines and using his entire bench. Kevin Bagshaw and Todd Taylor killed penalties effectively. And the victory was especially sweet for netminder Ian Cooper. He was brilliant, probably the dif- ference in the series. He said after the game this was his first cham- pionship in three years in the League. Two years ago, he was on the other side in a Bowmanville Eagle jersey when the MoJacks won the game seven OT thriller that fans still remember vividly to this day. After being cut loose by the ~ Eagles last fall, Cooper has enjoyed a superb year with the green and white. MoJacks were without captain Brad Menzies for the final four games of this series. He's nursing der, but Should be bad shoul- ack in the line-up for the first game with Emestown Friday night. ro The all-Ontario Junior C quarter final series gets under- way, this Friday (March 20) at 8:30 at the Scugog Arena as the MolJacks Emestown Jets. Both teams are coming off tough, emotion-packed series victories as the MolJacks defeated Little Britain Merchants in five games for' the Central League title and the Jets upset highly favoured Napanee Raiders in six to capture the Eastern League crown. The Jets, who finished sec- ond overall to the Raiders in league play won the series last Thursday night"with a 6-5 overtime victory. At one point in this game, the Raiders enjoyed a 5-1 lead, but the Jets came 'back "for the victory. The Raiders had perfect season recqiilof 30 wins and three ties into the play- offs and had®o be the odds-on favourites to take the playoffs as well. The Jets played inspired hockey against the Raiders who perhaps went into the series over-confident. The Jets and Raiders met five times in league play with two games ending in a tie and the Raiders winning the other three by single goal margins. The Jets are described as a strong skating club with a host . the steady defense corps along the blue line. Game one in the Jets/MoJacks series is Friday in Port at 8:30 PM with game two Sunday at 7:15 in Ernestown, just west of Kingston. MoJack fan Jeff Brown_had a a suprise for the team after the big win. Jeff's and baked this cake Just for the occasion. Be there!