BRANTFORD – The Stoney Creek General went up two games to none on the Brantford Blast in the ACH finals Friday night in Stoney Creek. After dropping a close 2-1 decision last week in Game #1, the Generals brought it all to the Brantford and District Civic Centre for Game #2 taking down the Blast 5-3.
The Generals took a quick 1-0 lead 34 seconds into the game, however Brandon Dietrich evened the score on a powerplay from Joel Prpic at 7:29. Stoney Creek took the lions share of momentum in the second period with goals by Matt Smith, Nathan Pageau and Jarrett Konkle while Prpic added his second of the game to finish the Second period with Stoney Creek leading 4-2.
Pageau scored his second in the third period with Prpic getting his hat-trick goal at 8:49. That would be all the scoring as the Generals held on for the win. Anthony Marshall was in net for the Brantford loss in front of 1,267 Brantford fans.
The Blast turned up the heat in the third game of the best-of-seven series in Stoney Creek and the effort paid off with a 5-4 win.
The Blast fell behind 2-0 by the five minute mark but the Blast rebounded with goals scored by Ken Peroff and Chris Rebernik, both on powerplays.
Dustin Alcock converted a Cameron Sault pass into a 3-2 Brantford lead at 12:17 of the second. The score was tied again with Stoney Creek’s third of the night tallied on a powerplay by Dylan Quaile with Jeff Caister doing time for slashing.
Sault took the lead back for Brantford from Derek Medeiros at 17:52. Ryan McCarthy added another before Stoney Creek drew back to within one of the Blast at 15:52, but Anthony Marshall held his ground the rest of the way to preserve the 5-4 win.
The series resumes Friday March 25 in an afternooner at the Civic Centre beginning at 2 p.m. Game #5 returns to the Gateway Ice Centre Saturday March 26. Should a Game #6 be necessary, it will be played at the Civic Centre in Brantford Tuesday night, March 29 and if there is a Game #7, it will be played in Stoney Creek, April 2.
Joel Prpic leads the playoff scoring race with five goals and nine assists in eight games.
