PICKERING MOUNTS HUGE COMEBACK TO DEFEAT MISSISSAUGA 5-4
WOW. After a disappointing loss the night before, the Cats bounced back from a three goal deficit in the third period against the Mississauga Chargers to tie the game, force OT and win it on a goal from Connor Irwin. It didn’t look good for the Panthers as the Chargers took a 2-0 lead through the first 20 minutes and led 3-0 late in the second until Keegan Juchau got his first Panther OJHL goal in a goalmouth scramble in the dying seconds of the second.
Mississauga scored a PP goal 16 seconds into the third and that seemed like it for Pickering, but they dug deep and showed determination and heart as they chipped away with goals from Darren Wilson (PP), Kailin Chen to pull within one. Pickering pull the goalie for an extra attacker with just under four minutes remaining and the strategy worked, as Owen Dunning scored to make it 4-4 and send the game into OT. Connor Irwin broke down the left wing after five minutes of play and from a near impossible angle, roofed a hard shot over the goalie’s shoulder on the short side for the Panther win.
Logan Rubino, who replaced Ethan Beattie in net for the third and OT periods got his first OJHL win. This comeback certainly broke the Panther’s third period jinx and perhaps will give them renewed confidence going forward. It would have been a happy bus ride back to Pickering last night.
