The Wingham Bantams opened their OMHA semifinal series versus Bancroft by splitting two games on the weekend, with a 7-3 loss at home on Saturday before a 4-3 overtime win in Bancroft on Sunday.
Saturday in Wingham Bancroft took a 2-0 lead in the first period but , Tanner Kirkby assisted by Garrett Davidson scored at 9:31 to close the gap to one. Bancroft responded just 20 seconds later to make it 3-1 but Wingham came right back with a goal from Josh Stewart assisted by Daniel Kemp to make it 3-2 17 seconds later.
Bancroft again took the momentum back 21 seconds later to make it 4-2 and added two more second-period goals to lead 6-2 after two periods.
Stewart from Jake Tolton and Kemp made it 6-3 one minute into the third but  Bancroft added another with less then a minute to go to win 7-3.
Sunday in Bancroft, Stewart from Jesse Deans and Kemp scored midway through the first  period to put Wingham ahead 1-0.
Bancroft scored at 11:35 of the second period to tie the game after two periods before taking the lead at 10:28 of the third.
Wingham again tied the game with a goal from Stewart assisted by Davidson at 6:55 to knot the game at two.
Bancroft thought they had the game won after scoring with under five minutes left in the third, but Kemp from Kirkby banged a loose puck by the Bancroft goalie with 56 seconds left and the goalie pulled to tie game 3-3.
And just 1:39 into overtime, with pressure around Bancroft’s net, Kirkby pounced on a rebound from a Ryan Shiell shot and blasted it off the post and into the twine to seal the Wingham win.
With the series tied at 1-1, it now heads to Bancroft Friday at 7:30 p.m., before game four Saturday at 8 p.m. with game five Sunday if necessary at 2 p.m. also in Bancroft.