Blades win Game 3 trail 2-1 series

The Blenheim Blades scored four straight goals and killed off three minor penalties in the third period while protecting a one-goal lead – including a 6-on-4 disadvantage for the final 1:45 – to hold off the Mooretown Flags 4-3 to get back into their PJHL Stobbs Division quarterfinal.

After surrendering a goal in the game’s first minute, four Blades scored their first goals of the series – Ryan Sanders and Sam Warriner in the first, Darby Lemieux and Evan Wells in the second – to give Blenheim a 4-1 lead.

The Flags scored a pair of power-play goals 33 seconds apart later in the second to make it a one-goal game, but Blades’ goalie Jake Vancoillie, with help from the team’s defensive commitment and penalty kill, closed the door the rest of the way.

A crowd of 777 energized fans packed the Rec Centre.

The Blades trail the best-of-seven 2-1 with Game 4 in Mooretown on Wednesday and Game 5 back at the Rec Centre on Thursday at 7 p.m.

This is the only first-round series that will go beyond four games as the Essex 73’s, Lakeshore Canadiens, and Wheatley Sharks all swept their first-round opponents.

See this Wednesday’s edition of The Blenheim News-Tribune for Blades’ pictures and coverage.