KEMPTVILLE – The South Dundas Lions Atom B team’s hopes of both winning the regular season, and the league championship, were dashed on March 25th as the Kemptville Panthers forced the team’s exit from the playoffs in game four of the series.
The Lions took game one of the series, 3-1, on March 19th. Nick Carrothers (from Chloe Casselman and Brody Duncan) put South Dundas on the scoreboard early in the first period. Kai Morrow (from Jordan Elliott and Casselman) made it 2-0 just 31 seconds later.
The Panthers answered back with one of their own, an unassisted goal from Blake O’Brien at the halfway mark of the period. Lions led 2-1. Elliott (from Morrow) added an insurance goal for the Lions with less than three minutes left in the period.
South Dundas held the 3-1 lead all the way to the end of the game to take a two-point lead in the first-to-five-point series.
Kemptville bounced back in game two, shutting out South Dundas 4-0 to tie the series on March 23rd.
Game three of the series, played in Cardinal March 24th, had the Lions take a 1-0 lead in the opening minute of the first period. Morrow (from Elliott and Casselman) scored glove side on the Panthers goalie. South Dundas led Kemptville 1-0 until late in the second period.
The Lions went on the power-play three times in the second period but were unable to capitalize on the advantage. In fact, Brady Nichol (from Wyatt Patterson) scored a short-handed goal for the Panthers, tying the game 1-1 late in the period. Kemptville scored twice more in the final three minutes of the game to win 3-1, placing South Dundas in jeopardy of exiting the playoffs.
The teams met for the third time in three days, March 25th, in Kemptville.
Elliott (from Morrow and Bazinet) scored three minutes into the game, giving the team a 1-0 lead. Lucas Booth (from Nichol) tied the game for the Panthers four minutes later.
The teams remained log-jammed until the final four minutes of the second period when Owen Anderson (from Nichol) broke the tie for the Panthers. South Dundas tried to battle back to tie the game again, but were unable to. The Lions fell to the Panthers 2-1, giving Kemptville the championship.
“[Kemptville] really tightened up on defence,” said head coach Justin Elliott. “After game one, we hardly had any chances on their goalie and couldnt’ capitalize on the power plays.”
Elliott praised the work ethic and success of the team this season.
“They were estactic to make the playoffs and finish first,” he said. “It was a really great bunch of kids. Everyone showed up to play and wanted to learn. Overall it was great year.”
The Atom B Lions team finished in first place in the UCMHL Atom B House league with a record of 21 wins, three losses, and four ties for 46 points overall. The team led the league in the regular season for lowest goals against with only 34 goals scored on them in 28 regular season games (1.21 goals-against-average), and the second high goals scored in the season with 81 goals (2.89 goals per game).
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