Thursday August 29 (Semi finals)
National rally-from two down to beat Lefts Over's twice in shootout
Over the course of a season, there are bound to be a few games that stand out more than the rest. Mark tonight's pair of wins as one of those occasions for the National. Trailing by two goals after dropping the first encounter by a 1-0 score, National emptied their emotional tank and rallied for a 3-2 victory to keep the series alive. O.Meilleur was the only player for either team to convert in the shootout. It was clear that National played with more urgency which helped shift the momentum in their favour. Still, plenty of work was still ahead for the two sides having to play a 12 minute game followed with a potential five minute overtime period. And considering how tight they played one another, neither side was able to score during that time which forced another shootout to decide the series. This time, S.Laplante was the lone scorer as the crafty d-man dazzled his way through netting the lone shootout marker. M.Gallant was flawless again stopping a total of six shootout attempts to end what was a thrilling semi final round. At no point during the entire night did National ever play with the lead. Unfortunately for the Left Over's, they just couldn't get that extra little break.
(1)Left Over's vs National (0) Game 1
(3)National vs Left Over's (2) S.O Game 2
(0)Left Over's vs National (1) S.O Game 3
HBHA Seniors reach familiar territory after downing the Family
The HBHA Seniors main players kept finding ways to score, and E.Parent was solid once more to help send his club to the final. Both wins came with every player committing to a full out effort. G.Vouloumanos was very productive in the opening contest participating in all three goals to secure a 3-1 victory. The second win had plenty of balance as four different players took turns finding the back of the net. The Family would have liked to try and play with the lead but never had the chance as they fell behind very early in both games. A.Perrault scored two out of his clubs three goals. After taking both games and outscoring their opponent 7-3, the HBHA Seniors no doubt want to hold that trend, especially now that they find themselves in the final.
(3)HBHA Seniors vs The Family (1) Game 1
(2)The Family vs HBHA Seniors (4) Game 2
The SalumiVino player of the night goes to Mario Gallant of the National. By denying six straight shootout attempts, and allowing only three goals in two games, it's safe to say that the net minder is a major reason why National will be challenging for the Masters 35+ title.
The Masters 35+ division is now down to only two teams. The HBHA Seniors will face off against a resilient opponent. Both teams have plenty of structure and won't give each other much on the offensive part of the game. Like most good teams battling it out at this level, look for all the little things to make the difference.
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