The Oakville Blades will need to win at home on Saturday following a 5-1 loss to the Burlington Cougars on Friday.
The first period was a physical affair. The first three games didn't see the same intensity as Oakville's first series against the St. Michael's Buzzers, but early on the teams were starting to prove that they truly didn't like each other. Daniel Jelic and Michael Mannara both found themselves in battles, showing their muscle and their willingness to fight in tough situations. Nick Alvaro and Ryan Garvey added some big hits in a period that saw both teams battling hard, but unable to find the back of the net.
The Cougars would strike first. Brendan McGlynn made a couple of nice saves on Burlington, including a classic pad-stack stop on the breakaway. Unfortunately, a quick shot on a turn around effort by David Thompson would give the home team the first advantage, taking the 1-0 lead over Oakville.
Unfortunately for Oakville, they'd fall behind by three goals very quickly. First, Jordan Peacock got a quick shot off before beating McGlynn, only to have Zac Hermann get an unassisted marker in front of the net to make it 3-0 with just under half the game still left.
The Blades wouldn't leave the second period without a goal. Three minutes left, and after tremendous pressure, Bryce Misley sent a wrist shot past Andrew Lee after a nice feed from Drew Worrad, giving Oakville their first goal of the game and a chance to stay close in the contest.
The Blades had some chances, but the Cougars put a dagger in the heart of Oakville. Stefano Alonzi did the damage, firing a shot past McGlynn to make it 4-1 for the home team. Chris Cobham finished off the damage with an empty netter with 38 seconds left in the game, giving Burlington the 5-1 lead and the victory in the process.
With the loss, the Blades will need to win their remaining three games to stay alive in the playoffs. Puck drops on Saturday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex at 7:30 pm. Let's pack the arena!