Altona Wins In Overtime

 

Josh Froese scored 9:40 into overtime to give the Altona Maroons a 4-3 victory over the Plum Coulee Xpress, and a 3-1 lead in the best of seven SEMHL final. After beating Plum Coulee 4-2 on Thursday night to take a 2-1 series lead, the Maroons returned home on Saturday for game four  looking to become the first home team to win a game in the series.

Altona drew first blood on the power-play with 3:10 to play in the opening period. Devon Leblanc hit Ryan Dyck with a back door pass in the left slot and he made no mistake ripping it past Jayme Janzen to put Altona ahead 1-0. In the dying seconds of the period Matt Dyck took the puck down the right wing and fired a shot over Janzen's shoulder to push the Maroons in front by two with just 13 seconds to play before the break.

Plum Coulee got back into the game in the second period thanks to their power-play. During a full two minute 5-on-3 man-advantage, Brett Harder scored at the 6:55 mark to cut Altona's lead to 2-1. On the ensuing 5-on-4 power-play, Adam Suderman tipped in a pass from Dwight Heppner to tie the game at two. However, not even a minute later, Jared Barnabe scored for Altona to put the Maroons back in front. Later in the period, Brett Harder would score his second of the period to tie the game again.


After a scoreless third period, game four was headed to overtime.

Just 9:40 into the extra period, Dale Butland slid the puck down the wall to Shea Hamilton. He then carried it behind the net and found Josh Froese in the slot and he fired it over the shoulder of Janzen to give the Maroons the 4-3 win and send the Plum Coulee Xpress to the brink of elimination.

Both Altona goaltender Carey Dyck and Plum Coulee netminder Jayme Janzen played great in the game as the Maroons out-shot the Xpress 48-40.

The Altona Maroons will try to win their first South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League championship since the 2000-2001 season when they play the Xpress in game five of the series on Tuesday night in Winkler. Puck drop at the Winkler Recreation Complex is 7:30 p.m.


-photos courtesy of Ray Peters-