Thunder facing elimination in first round of playoffs

Skates and sticks were everywhere in this tumble in front of Tillsonburg’s net during Tuesday’s game. The Thunder’s defensive efforts were a large part in the win. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

The Tillsonburg Thunder may be down, but they are not out.

‘Out’ is what the Thunder are trying to avoid as they are down 3-1 in a best-of-seven series for the first round of playoffs.

“We rallied from three down against Tilbury in a reverse sweep a couple of years ago on route to a championship,” said owner Michael Holly. “We already have one in the book so it will be easier this time.”

Finishing regular season play in sixth, the Thunder were pitted against first-place Petrolia Squires. During the regular season, the two teams met once, with Petrolia taking both games, but by a slim 6-5 margin in each case.

After an opening 4-1 loss in a road game on Feb. 6, the two teams faced off in a home game for the Thunder on Feb. 10, where home ice was an advantage.

Tillsonburg opened scoring in the first when Luke Sinclair took the feed from Justin Abraham and Andrew Oosterveld at 11:12. The Squires answered in the dying seconds of the period to even the score at the end of the first.

The second period was all Thunder with Abraham hitting the mesh on a power play, from Danny Attridge and Oosterveld. Hunter Monkhouse provided some insurance with a goal at 2:38 of a scrappy, penalty-filled second with assistance from Abraham and Robert MacLean.

Braden Roberts, from Jaden VanSevenant, notched another for the Thunder in a third period that continued to see the penalty minutes racked up. After the Squires managed a short-handed goal at 11:12, Nicolas D’Agostino netted the final goal at 5:51. Roberts and Tye Johnson assisted.

With the series tied, Friday the 13th was unlucky for the Thunder in a road trip to Petrolia. The Squires scored one in the first, then added two more in the second before Hunter Monkhouse put the Thunder on the board in the third with a powerplay goal fed by Kurtis Heggie. Petrolia hit the empty net to take a 4-1 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

The Thunder were home on Valentine’s Day, but ended up coming away with team heartbreak as the Squires went up 3-1.

The game started with the Squire taking a 2-0 lead before the halfway point of the first. But, Attridge converted a powerplay feed from Oosterveld and Sebastian Guastadigsegni to keep the game within reach with a 2-1 deficit at the first buzzer.

However, a second-period scoring fest ended in the favour of the visitors. Again, the Squires added two before the half-way point. Mike Findlay and Nigel Abbott set up Nicolas D’Agostino just at 9:45, but this goal was to be the Thunder’s last as Petrolia deposited two more for the 6-2 win.

The two teams meet again in a do-or-die match for the Thunder on Friday, Feb. 20 in Petrolia.