Adam Prudhomme
Editor
A half dozen unanswered goals was the difference as the Napanee Raiders rolled to a 6-2 win road over the Port Hope Panthers Sunday night, staking a 3-0 Tod Division finals lead in the process.
Cam Krupa scored twice while Michael Patrick, Ben White, Ben Carter and Blake Aylesworth each found the back of the net once for the Raiders.
Port Hope had jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first courtesy goals from Dylan Leslie and Nate Burelle at 8:36 and 12:44 respectively.
Napanee went to work from there, scoring twice to close out the first. They put it away with four in the second period, all within a span of 11 minutes.
Logan Vale earned his third straight win in the series with 26 saves. Panther net-minding duties were split between Brayden Friedrich and Dominic Marquis-the second straight game the Panthers have had to resort to their backup in hopes of slowing the red-hot Raider offense.
All told the Raiders outshot the home team 38-28.
Napanee will now have a chance to sweep away the Panthers and hoist the league trophy on the home ice of the Strathcona Paper Centre on Tuesday night. Puck drop is 8:30 p.m.
If the Panthers can extend the series, Game 5 would go April 4 in port Hope, Game 6 in Napanee on April 5 and Game 7 on April 7 in Port Hope.
Napanee is looking to win the league title for the first time since 2022 and third time in the last four completed seasons.