Tavistock survives Game 5 with Hespeler Shamrocks

TAVISTOCK – The Tavistock Braves stayed alive in their Provincial Junior Hockey League playoff series with the Hespeler Shamrocks with a 4-2 victory Friday at the Tavistock and District Recreation Centre.

Hespeler leads the best-of-seven Doherty Division quarter-final series 3-2.

Friday, Tavistock led 2-1 at the end of the first period and 3-2 after the second. The Braves added an empty-netter with 12 seconds to go in the third.

Ryan Fraser and Liam Nelson scored the goals for the Shamrocks while Jack Restauri had Hespeler’s lone assist.

Tavistock received a goal apiece from Christian Bergmann, Carson Bernhardt, Andrew Van Boekel and Ryan Suljak and an assist apiece from Kaden Brame, Carter Arseneau, Stephen Peppas, Nicholas Hambly, Ian Glendinning, Ethan Sharpe, Trent Davies and Marc Dionne.

Tavistock outshot Hespeler 37-32 and went 1-for-2 on its power play while the Shamrocks were scoreless on three power plays.

Lucas Hillert had 33 saves for the Shamrocks and James Hopper had 30 for Tavistock.

Game 6 is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Hespeler Memorial Arena.

If Tavistock wins Sunday, the seventh and final game of the series is to go Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Tavistock.

• Guelph Sports Journal