Thunder 1-1 in playoffs against Erin Outlaws

Tillsonburg Thunder defender Cameron Fraser clashes with an Erin Outlaws forward by the Thunder net while goaltender Ben Blacker watches the puck during the opening game of a series between the two teams. While the Thunder lost the opening game, the team came back to tie the series on the road. (Jeff Helsdon photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The Tillsonburg Thunder are 1-1 in the A playoffs against the Erin Outlaws.

The series opened on Feb. 28 in Tillsonburg with a closely-matched first period that saw both teams with 13 shots on goal.

The Outlaws were first on the scoreboard at 17:24 of the second, but Kane Johnson converted a Justin Abraham pass to stalemate the score at 11:18. Erin pulled ahead 2-1 before the second buzzer with a goal with 2:45 remaining.

Nearly three-quarters of a tightly-contested third period would be off the clock before Hunter Monkhouse evened the score for the Thunder, with Nicolas D’Agostino assisting. Erin got the go-ahead goal with 1:49 remaining, and added an insurance goal with 33 seconds on the clock for a 4-2 win.

The Thunder were looking for vengeance playing in Erin on March 1, and found it with a 3-1 road win.

Robert McLean netted the first goal at 9:50 of the first period to set the tone. D’Agostino and Tye Johnson assisted.

Second period scoring opened with the Outlaws hitting the mesh on a short-handed goal with just over five minutes off the clock. Andrew Oosterveld pulled the Thunder back in front with 6:05 remaining after taking the feed from Tye Johnson and Kurtis Heggie.

Luke Sinclair, from Danny Attridge, added an insurance goal with nine seconds left on the clock in the third.

This weekend sees the home and home series continue with the two teams facing off in Tillsonburg at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, and in Erin on Saturday.