Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Smiths Falls’ Andrew McKenney scored 4:01 into overtime to lift the Rideaus to a 7-6 win in Game 5, ending the Deseronto Bulldogs’ playoff run in heart-breaking fashion.
Deseronto was a mere 30 seconds away from clinching the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League quarter-final playoff series in front of their home town fans on Saturday night. With the series tied 2-2 at the start of the night, both clubs were just one win away from jubilation or one loss away from devastation.
Deseronto clung to a 6-5 lead while the Rideaus desperately tried to prolong their season, pulling their goalie for an extra attacker. The last-ditch effort paid off as Spenser Cobbold tied the game with exactly 30 seconds left to play.
That sent the game to overtime where the Rideaus finished the job.
Things were going the Bulldogs’ way early in the game as Graham Lamers and Zack Masterson each potted a goal to build a 2-0 lead late in the first.
That was the start of a see-saw affair that saw the Rideaus take leads of 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 before the Bulldogs were finally able to overtake them with two unanswered goals in the third. Austin Eastman scored on the power-play with 4:58 left in regulation to give the Bulldogs the 6-5 lead. In the end it was just one goal short of what they needed.
Joey Mayer and Jonny Hill also scored for the Bulldogs.
With the win the Rideaus advance to the semifinals where they’ll take on the Gananoque Islanders starting tomorrow.
For the Bulldog, the loss is a crushing way to end what will still go down as their most successful season to date since their inaugural 2019 season.
The Bulldogs went 15-5 on the season, finishing just one point back of the Islanders for the top spot in the West Division.