Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Ex-Raiders made themselves right at home on Tuesday, helping the Gananoque Islanders to a 3-2 overtime win over the Port Hope Panthers in a one-game playoff tie breaker played at the SPC.
Former Raider Tim Morton scored the game winner just over a minute into extra time. Jeremy Piazzi, who once patrolled the crease for Napanee, picked up the win with 28 saves.
Port Hope held a 2-0 lead in the winner-take-all game as yet another former Raider, Cam Harris, scored at the 7:18 mark of the second. Harris also added an assist on Nicholas Ainsworth’s power-play goal at 9:24.
The Islanders were able to rally from there courtesy two goals from Roman Cannell, one late in the second the other three minutes into the third.
With the win, the Islanders officially clinched the fourth and final playoff spot. They’ll now take on the Raiders in a best-of-seven semifinal. Game 1 will go Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Strathcona Paper Centre with Game 2 Sunday in Gananoque at 7 p.m. The rest of the series is yet to be determined.
Tuesday’s win marked the second time in four years since joining the Tod Division that the Islanders have qualified for the playoffs. They last made it in 2017, when Napanee defeated them in five games.