Royals rebound after two losses to tie OEHL series

Royals centre Deven Kropf (17) prepares for a faceoff during Tavistock’s 2-1 loss in Seaforth on Saturday night. The Royals bounced back Sunday with a 5-4 overtime win at home to tie the semi-final series at two wins each. Contributed photo

By Lee Griffi

Tavistock found itself in a must-win position Sunday afternoon after dropping two straight games to Seaforth in their Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) AA playoff series.

The Royals delivered with an exciting 5-4 overtime victory.

Patrick Vulgan scored the winning goal at the 8:12 mark after a loose puck in front of the Seaforth net deflected off his stick. Drew Gerth and Greg Noyes earned assists.

“They’re a great team, they compete hard and have a great structure. For us, it’s all about effort, and today we were able to come out on top,” said Vulgan.

“It was kind of a lucky bounce off the shaft of my stick and it ended up in the net. It was a good break for us, and we’re looking forward to next weekend.”

Tavistock jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Drew Gerth and Michael Capicotto before the game was three minutes in, but the Centenaires scored the next three before Tristan Hohl squared it at three early in the third period. Seaforth took a 4-3 lead before Mitch Atkins’ goal with just under five minutes remaining forced the extra period.

Seaforth took a 2-1 series lead with a 2-1 victory on home ice Saturday. Tavistock managed just 19 shots on goal, and the only one to wind up in the back of the net was off the stick of Lucas Bast at the 8:12 mark of the first period on the powerplay. The Centenaires bounced back with a pair of goals in the second period to clinch the win.

“I was extremely pleased with our team's effort in Game 4, especially in the third period, as well as in overtime. We battled back from behind twice,” said assistant coach Derek Wagler.

“The team never let their belief slip. Our work ethic was relentless in the latter part of that game, and that’s what ultimately got it done for us.”

The Royals struggled at times to ice a full lineup during the season as players had family and work commitments, but Wagler said they have a deep bench now that they have been able to stack the roster.

“As for our depth, it’s something I’ve been raving about all year long. I’ve said many times that I believe we have the deepest team in the league. We’re able to utilize all four lines effectively, which is a huge advantage come playoff time. It allows us to keep everyone as fresh as possible and for us to get the line matchups we desire.”

Wagler added there are a few structural pieces to the Braves game, which make a big difference over 60 minutes and potentially a seven-game series.

“That will be key to our success. We’ve gone over them at length before games, during practice and gone over game film as a team. Who wants it most is always the most important. Whichever team is willing to lay it all on the line will definitely be the one to come out on top. I believe that’s going to be us.”

Royals goalie Andrew Masters continues to lead the league statistically in the postseason. He has a 1.33 goals-against average, a .956 save percentage and four shutouts. No other netminder has more than one.

Game 5 goes Friday night in Seaforth at 8 p.m., with Game 6 on Saturday in Tavistock at 7:30 p.m. Game 7, if necessary, is set for Tuesday, March 17, in Seaforth at 9 p.m.