After surrendering 11 goals against in the first two games of the Division I Boys High-School Hockey final, the Lo-Ellen Park Knights had no trouble identifying where the biggest improvement in their game was required if they were to extend their series with the St Charles College Cardinals Monday night at the Gerry McCrory Sports Complex.
Looks like they took it to heart and then some.
A 32-save performance from Dax Yurich supported by a two-goal effort from Matti Jouppi and a laser of an opening goal by Corey Lacroix lifted the Knights to a 3-0 win, though they still trail the best of five affair two games to one.
For as much as St Charles outshot Lo-Ellen 32-14, quality scoring chances might have been dead even as the south enders hunkered down in their own end in a desperate attempt to force game four (Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. at Countryside).
"I was a little worried with those first two games," admitted Yurich, recognized as the all-star team goaltender prior to the game. "You can't come into these games nervous. You've got to go out there and have fun."
"I was thinking today was going to be a good game, that the boys were going to work hard and keep fighting - and we played great in the defensive zone."
For as much as he was rock solid on the back-end, Yurich was not required to stand on his head, by any stretch of the imagination.
"In the first game, the one problem was the number of guys in front of the net," noted Yurich. "It was packed. On their second goal, I couldn't even see it and over-committed. It wasn't my favourite goal."
"I was happy tonight that I didn't give up, that I kept on fighting from the first to the last."
On the girls side of the ledger, the Division I final is also heading to a third and deciding game following some incredible drama Monday in Val Caron.
Lo-Ellen had beaten the Horizon Aigles 3-1 in game one last Thursday on goals from Sadie Frantz, Sophie Gauld and Gracie Dale and were leading 2-1 in game two with time ticking down.
A power-play goal by Maya Flores just prior to the sounding of the buzzer would force overtime and with seven seconds to play in the extra session, Naomi Gobeil would provide the heroics, lifting Horizon to a 3-2 win.
Ryan Snow netted both goals for Lo-Ellen after Haven Bellerose opened the scoring for the Aigles with the teams now set for the ultimate showdown Wednesday at 3:45 p.m., also at the Gerry McCrory Complex.
The St Benedict Bears opened the Division II final with a 3-0 whitewashing of the Confederation Chargers. A two goal effort from Ava Bois and an early power-play tally from Kendra Cole gave the Bears all the offense they would need as netminder Elsa Blum shut things down at the other end of the rink.
Game two is set for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Ray Plourde / Confederation Arena in the Valley.
