It was a tough affair, but the Oakville Blades were able to out muscle the North York Rangers to take home the 4-3 victory on Friday night.
The Blades started off the game early having to kill off a hooking penalty to Peyton Reeves, something they did very effectively. Unfortunately for the Blades, the Rangers found themselves on the scoreboard shortly after when Ted Hunt looped around the net and fired it top shelf over Brendan McGlynn, giving the visitors the 1-0 lead after five minutes.
With just over five minutes remaining in the period, Clarkson University (NCAA) commit Drew Worrad gave Oakville their first of the night. Patrick Kudla did a lot of the work, wiring a hard shot from the point toward the net. It wasn't a goal that the Blades defenseman would tally, but he did get an assist after Worrad tipped it in for the 1-1 goal.
North York grabbed the game leading 2-1 goal with just under half the game still left to go. With Brandon Doherty in the box, Adam Giacomin took a quick wrist shot from the point to beat a screened McGlynn, handing North York back the lead after some sustained pressure. Oakville fought back in the following minutes, however, pushing North York's Gianluca Baggetta hard throughout the remainder of the period, forcing him to make 20 saves after 40 minutes of action.
Before the second period was even two minutes old, the Blades found themselves down 3-1. Jake Harris became his team's third goal scorer of the match after stealing the puck at Oakville blue line, beating a defender and deaking out McGlynn for the goal.
Oakville had a couple solid scoring chances with about half of the period left to go. First, Jackson Bales had a one-timer at the slot, only to meet the right pad of Baggetta. Then, Josh Kosack got multiple chances at the doorstep, only to again find an unlucky fate. Fortunately for the Blades, the captain, Mr. Clutch Ryan Garvey, scored near the crease on the 6-on-3 Power Play chance to bring his team within one.
With five minutes to go, the Blades found themselves with all the momentum and back in the game. This time, Drew Worrad turned chances from Garvey and Kudla into his own goal, jamming it in in the crease for the 3-3 goal.
Both teams traded some great scoring chances in the final minute of the tied game, including Garvey who was stopped on a last second breakaway. With nothing working out, the game went to overtime, a game mode the team really seems to like this year. Worrad, the owner of two previous goals on Friday, would get Oakville's fourth goal in the four-on-four format to give the Blades the win, finishing off the 4-3 victory for the Blades.