Admirals stay alive, beat Blades in OT 4-3

AMHERSETBURG – The Blenheim Blades traveled to Amherstburg Tuesday
night looking to wrap up their best-of-seven PJHL Stobbs Division quarter-final
series in the minimum of four games, but Admirals had other ideas, and despite
being outshot 52-32, forced a Game 5 with a 4-3 overtime win.
The two teams will now play Game 5 Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Blenheim
Memorial Arena.
Things started off looking good for the Blades when rookie Joey Hayter
opened the scoring with the game just a minute and 39 seconds old.
The goal was Hayter’s fourth of the series, with an assist going to Craig
Spence.
Amherstburg’s Brett Jones tied things at 1-1 at 15:25, with the Blades Tate
Bowden netting his first of the series at 18:39, with assists going to Darby
Lemieux and Brad McAlpine, to put his team up 2-1.
That lead did not last long as Amherstburg’s Jacob Archer scored at 19:23 to
send the two teams to their dressing rooms tied 2-2 after 20 minutes.
Amherstburg’s Finnegan Russett scored the only goal in the second period.
To get the game to at least overtime the Blades needed to score in the third
period, and that happened when team captain Craig Spence scored the only
goal on a Blenheim powerplay at 16:18, assisted by Bowden.
Spence now has four goals and six assists for 10 points in the series.
The teams then began a the sudden-death first 20-minute overtime with
Russett ending the Blades hope for a series sweep at 8:14.

BLADES BITS: Jake Vancoillie was in net for the Blades and stopped 29 of 32
shots, while Joe Costea turned aside 49 of 52 sent his way by the Blades…Not
dressed for Blenheim were Ethan Chittle, Cameron Roberston, Everitt Swayze,
Andrew Goulet and Will McCracken…Unlike Game 3 that saw lots of penalties
Tuesday’s contest was a tame affair with each club being assessed six minors …
Game 6 in this series, if necessary, will be Saturday in Amherstburg at 7:30 p.m.,
and Game 7, if needed is Sunday back at the Blenheim Memorial Arena at 7p.m…The three stars of the game were all Admirals – Costea, Russett and
Jones…Attendance was 272.