Devan Harrison scored the winning goal 64 seconds into overtime in the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins 4-3 win over the Notre Dame Hounds on Saturday night at Affinity Place.
Harrison pinched into the offensive zone, and took a pass from Bryce Platt to beat Notre Dame goaltender Riley Kohonick. Harrison also had two assists in the game.
“I saw Platter had the puck, and I knew I could beat my guy up the ice. There’s only six guys on the ice, so there was plenty of room,” said Harrison.
Notre Dame jumped out to an early lead when Jared Hamm scored 59 seconds into the game. Tristyn DeRoose responded with a power play goal seven minutes into the first period to tie the game, but Tanner Tarbell's goal with 69 seconds left in the first period gave the Hounds a 2-1 advantage.
Michael McChesney scored at the 12:58 mark of the second period to tie the game again, but Notre Dame took the lead back 20 seconds later on Cody Lehner's goal. Both tallies came during four-on-four play.
The Bruins would tie the game again with less than three minutes to play in the middle frame when TJ Irey – playing in just his second game back after missing four weeks due to injury – scored on a slap-pass from Harrison.
The third period featured everything except for goals. There were two fights. One saw McChesney get in his first scrap in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with Notre Dame's Jakob Breault. Then the Bruins Jayden Davis fought the Hounds Curtis Wiebe. Davis was also given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a hit to the head of a Notre Dame opponent right before he fought Wiebe.
Head coach/GM Chris Lewgood thought the extra effort was better Saturday night than Friday night, when the Bruins were blanked 2-0 by the Hounds in Wilcox.
“Even on the winning goal, the effort that it takes to separate our defenceman from their back-checker and get a stick on that puck. Last night’s game we wouldn’t have had that effort.”
Earlier in the game, Bruin defenceman Austin King-Cunningham was ejected for fighting. The Hounds only received a minor penalty, even though two players were part of the altercation.
The Hounds had a five-minute power play, but couldn't convert.
Grant Boldt made 18 saves for the Bruins. Kohonick stopped 28 for the Hounds.
The upcoming edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
