After a 54-win year and being ranked the top team in Ontario, the Oakville Rangers U18 AA hockey team met their end in a shootout loss after a triple overtime semi-final game on March 31, 2024.
The Rangers were competing in this weekend's Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) Championship Tournament against seven other teams including the West Niagara Flying Aces, Clarington Toros, Milton Winterhawks, Markham Waxers, TNT Tornados, Garden City Minor Falcons, and North Durham Warriors.
The Rangers went into this tournament as the returning champions of not only the OMHAs but also of the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) championship which they were the first-ever AA team from Oakville to win.
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With the same coaching staff and some of last year's players, the Rangers began this year's tournament strong with a 3-0 win against Garden City. They would tie their next two games at the same score of 2-2 against the TNT Tornados and North Durham Warriors.
With their record, they were able to secure a spot in the semi-finals on Sunday against the Milton Winterhawks which was an action-packed game of skill and heart.
Milton came into this game with two wins and a loss in this tournament and was ranked just behind Oakville as the number two team in Ontario.
Both teams came out hot with Oakville opening the scoring early but Milton answered back near the end of the first period, quickly followed by a second goal.
Milton scored again early in the second period but Oakville potted a goal near the end of the period to make it 3-2.
In the third period, Oakville tied the game with less than ten minutes remaining, holding Milton off to end the period at a score of 3-3.
With a final winner needed to advance to the finals that evening, the game went into overtime. Both Oakville and Milton were hungry in overtime which led them to three rounds of sudden death but neither team was able to score.
The game went into a shootout. The first five shots were stopped on both ends until Milton was able to slip one through the five-hole of the Oakville netminder. Oakville had two more chances to score but was unsuccessful.
Milton went on to win the tournament that afternoon against the North Durham Warriors in a 4-0 victory. Milton will now compete at the OHF championship tournament from April 19-21 in Markham.