It was another heartbreaking overtime loss for the Wingham Ironmen Monday night with a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Kincardine Bulldogs to be eliminated three straight in their first round series.
It was the second overtime loss of the series for the Ironmen after a 3-2 double overtime loss Friday night in Kincardine, before a a 5-2 loss Saturday night in Wingham.
Prior to Monday’s night game, Ironmen head coach Chad Haggitt said Wingham could be leading the series, after outworking the Bulldogs and controlling the play in much of the two games.
The Ironmen threw everything they had at the Bulldogs Friday night, including 19 shots in overtime, but Kincardine goalie Gaitlin Burt stopped 53 of 55 shots fired at him.
Haggitt said the biggest problem for the Inromen has been their inability to score with the man advantage, as they have been scoleress on 18 power-play chances, although they have also killed off all but one of 18 Kincardine power plays.
After a score less first period, the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead midway through the second before Cory MacDonald tied it 17:36 of the period. The Bulldogs responded quickly, however, with a power- play goal two minutes later for a 2-1 lead going into the third.
Chris Corbett tied it at 17:56 to send the game to a wide open overtime first period where the Ironmen outshot the Bulldogs 19-16. But they couldn’t put the winner past Burt before Devin Kemp scored the winner for the Bulldogs at 8:00 of the second overtime.
Saturday night in Wingham, Kemp was again the difference with three goals in the third period as the Bulldogs defeated the Ironmen 5-2.
After another scoreless first period, the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead at 5:04 in the second before Graham Ashcroft tied it two minutes later.
The Ironmen took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Tyler Kellum at 2:20 of the third period before Kemp took over with a goal at 6:46. The Bulldogs then took the lead with a goal at 9:11 before Kemp put the game away with two goals at 18:59 and 1952 for the 5-2 win.
Haggitt said the Ironmen were going to juggle things before Monday night’s game and would have to get more shots through against Burt “and get in his cage.”
It was another hard fought game Monday night, as the teams were scoreless through two periods before Kincardine got on the board with a powerplay goal at 11:49.
With just 20 seconds left in regulation time however, Cory MacDonald gave the Ironmen life with an unassisted goal to send the game to overtime.
Just over three minutes in though, the Bulldogs ended it with a goal from Paul Stewart for the series win.