Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Three unanswered goals late in the third period of Tuesday’s Game 3 of the PJHL Tod Division finals has the Amherstview Jets’ Cinderella story showing signs of turning into a pumpkin.
The Jets had battled the second-seeded Port Hope Panthers to a 3-3 draw through the midway point of the third before the Panthers erupted for three goals to seal a 6-3 win and take a 2-1 series lead.
Twice the Jets had battled back to tie the game but they were never able to score the crucial go ahead goal. After Port Hope’s Evan Foley opened the scoring just shy of five minutes into the game, Amherstview’s Ben Ohlmann answered back 1:33 later.
Cameron Harris had the lone goal of the second period to put the Panthers up 2-1, which was stretched to 3-1 by a quick third period goal from Dayton Kent.
Joey Mayer and Ty Norman each scored within a 16 second span to knot the game at 3-3, but that’s where the Jets’ comeback ran out of fuel.
Keegan Paulette took the loss, stopping 45 of 50 shots. Sheldon Calbury took the win with 24 saves.
Amherstview, riding high off their upset Game 7 win over the Napanee Raiders earlier last week, stormed into Saturday’s Game 1 of the finals with a 5-4 overtime win. James O’Brien had the game tying goal at the 12:43 mark of the third and then ended the game at the 8:22 mark of overtime. Alexei Masanko earned the win with 44 saves.
That loss seemed to spark the Panthers however, as they roared back the next night in Amherstview with a convincing 9-4 victory. The visitors scored eight unanswered goals over the first two frames. The Jets attempted a rally with four goals in the third, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
The Jets will look to recapture their playoff magic tonight on home ice when they host the Panthers for a critical Game 4. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
On Saturday the series returns to Port Hope for Game 5, which starts at 7:30 p.m.
If Game 6 is necessary it would go Sunday in Amherstview at 7 p.m. with a winner-take-all Game 7 scheduled for March 19 in Port Hope.