Trojans came back stunning Dolphins

DORCHESTER, Ont. - Nearing the mid point of the game, all signs pointed to the Dorchester Dolphins taking a stranglehold of the series.

However, the Thamesford Trojans had other ideas.

Trailing 4-1, the Trojans scored five unanswered goals on their way to a 6-4 win over the stunned Dolphins, in game three of the PJHL Yeck Division quarterfinal.

"We thought we had it and went to sleep. Thamesford is a team that will never stop trying. They always have the fight," Dolphins' coach Chris Masse said. "Then we started squeezing the stick a little tight. The things that got us the first two wins and got us up in this game, we stop doing. Five unanswered goals can't happen. We had a great start and then we crapped the bed."

Dorchester still leads the series, two games to one, winning game one, 3-2 and game two at Thamesford, 2-1, in overtime.

"We're still up and that's a positive. But now it's a series. Even if we had won, it was a series because you have to win four," said Masse "It's how we respond Tuesday night."

Game four is March 13, 8:30 p.m. at Thamesford.

Michael Cecchi, Austin Connors and Noah Small gave the Dolphins, a 3-0 lead before the game was 10 minutes old, in one of their best first periods of the season.

After Clayson Goymour put Thamesford on the board, Caleb Haalstra potted the fourth goal for the Dolphins, just 96 seconds into the second period.

Gage Argue and Dillon Hunter, both scored twice and Carter Chard had an empty net goal in the final minute of the third period.

Tied at four in the third period, the Dolphins had over three minutes of a five-on-three power play but came up empty. Minutes later the Argue have the Trojans a 5-4 lead.

"Isn't that the way it always goes," Masse said. "We didn't look good. We were getting out of position a bit, compared to our first power plays of the game. It's those little attention to details we have to do. It seemed nothing could get going on those later power plays to capitalize."

Thamesford out shot Dorchester for a third game, this night firing 42 shots at Dolphins' goalie Jackson Mailloux.

Dolphins' Isaac Sturgeon and Trojans' Nathan Marques, each picked up two assists.

Josh Short leads the Dolphins in scoring with four goals and two assists, while Caleb Haalstra has a goal and two assists.

The series returns to Dorchester for game five, on Friday, March 18.