It may have been only the first time the Oakville Blades have taken on the Cobourg Cougars, but it surely didn't appear that way with the amount of physicality between the two squads. Intensely controlled by the Cougars, Oakville wouldn't allow the Cougars to make the most of their 45 shots, keeping the game close. Despite that, Cobourg still managed to take home the close 4-3 victory thanks to two goals in the dying minutes of the match.
The first period may have resulted in a close goal count, but the shot clock wasn't in favour of Oakville. Cobourg didn't take long recording the first goal of the game, as Conor Armour recorded the first goal of the game. Only four minutes in, it was a nice shot. Oakville would tie it up just minutes later, as defenseman Daniel Jelic made a nice feed right to Sean Kohler, who got one past Cobourg net-minder Nathan Perry. Following a barrage of shots by the Cougars, Armour would record his second of the night with only 47 seconds remaining in the first. After twenty minutes of play, which saw Cobourg come out with a 17-5 shot advantage, the visitors took to the dressing room with a 2-1 lead.
While Cobourg still dominated the shot clock during the second period, Oakville did manage to make the most of their opportunities. With 13 seconds remaining in Theo Lewis' charging minor, Ross Sloan got the puck right on the tape of Vince Palermo, who scored right in front to tie the game up at two. Palermo would find his way into the penalty box during back to back instances: first he got a two minute minor for tripping on the very first shift after the goal; and just as he found his way back on the ice, he would go right back for the sin bin of cross checking. Cobourg owned the total shot clock count with a 33-10 advantage after two periods, but the the game would remain tied at two apiece following forty minutes of play.
Oakville had a few good chances at the start of the third period in a tough, spirited affair, recording the first four shots of the period. Evan Buitenhuis who is no stranger to shots against this year, had plenty of shots to keep out of the net last night. His classic glove hand was fantastic. Despite his strong performance, Cobourg was going to get another marker at some point. Eventually, a point shot got tipped through the legs of Boots. The goal credited to Connor Hogg. Less then a minute later, Cobourg managed to score on their 42nd shot of the night, as Liam Grande scored an almost identical goal.
With full momentum in the hands of the Cougars, Oakville coach Kevin Gomes called a timeout, hoping his team could manage to rally back from two goals behind. Palermo wanted to send a message to the opposition, who had recorded two goaltending interference penalties during the game. Following a little tussle in front of the net, he would find himself back in the box for roughing. The club would eventually put the pressure on the visiting squad, keeping the puck in the Cobourg zone for a couple of minutes, but the puck didn't find it's way into the net. With a minute and a half remaining in the contest, Oakville pulled Buitenhuis in favour of an extra attacker Keigan. Oakville's powerplay would strike once again this season when, with only 13 seconds remaining in the game. That's all that would come out of the man advantage.
The Cobourg Cougars skated to their second straight win of the season, while the Blades would fall victim to their second defeat.