Guelph Regals come back to nip London in overtime
The Guelph Regals rallied from a three-goal deficit with two minutes to go in the game to eventually edge the London Blue Devils 15-14 in overtime in Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League play Sunday at the Victoria Road arena.
The Regals had forced the extra 10-minute period with a goal with one second to go in regulation time.
The Regals led 4-3 at the end of the first period and trailed 9-6 after the second. They were also behind 12-9 with two minutes to go in regulation time.
Ben Morton scored the tying goal with one second to go in the third period. The Guelph side scored three goals in a minute and 13 seconds to tie the score 12-12 with 41 seconds left in regulation time, but London shot ahead with a power-play goal with 17 seconds to play in the third.
Finn Morgan put the Regals ahead for good 26 seconds into overtime and Sam Savery scored the eventual game-winner with 6:48 to go in the extra period. Conner Zavits netted a power-play goal for London with 2:34 to go in overtime.
Graeme Crowder scored a hat trick for the Regals while Morgan, Dylan Davey, Savery and Morton had two goals apiece while Brett Vince, Logan Reyes, Darcy Rybinski and Zachary Wright added single goals. Davey had seven assists while Morton had four, Dylan Goddard had three, Vince, Savery, Marcus Visentin, Rybinski and Reid MacDonald had two each and Crowder had one.
Tyler Clarke had four goals and four assists for London while Brendan Campbell had three goals and five assists. Daxtyn Brown also had a hat trick while Kahelot Powless had two goals and Zach Vanderwal and Zavits scored once each.
The Regals outshot the Blue Devils 65-62.
Anthony Fonte started in net for the Regals and was replaced by Connor Waller at 3:23 of the third. Fonte had 26 saves and Waller had 22. Harrison Kerr had 50 saves for London.
The result leaves the Regals at 9-9-0 (W-L-T) and London at 5-12-0.
The Regals can secure a playoff berth with a win in one of their two remaining games, both away contests this week. They’re to play the North Stars (10-7-0) at Owen Sound Thursday at 8 p.m. and the Highlanders (13-4-0) at Cambridge Saturday at 8 p.m. Both Owen Sound and Cambridge have clinched playoff berths.
- Guelph Sports Journal