Ontario Hockey Association

With a 4-1 win last night in Wallaceburg, the Mooretown Flags won their best of seven playoff series against the Wallaceburg Lakers four games to two.

As with most games in the Great Lakes Junior ‘C’ North Division semifinal between the Lakers and Flags, Game 6 was another close game.

The Flags led 2-1 going into the third, and scored two late goals in the third period to ice the game.

Twelve minutes into the third, Alex Dawson scored from along the boards, beating Laker goalie Ryan George with a shot in the top corner of the net, to make it 3-1 and give the Flags some breathing room. Adam Little added a goal with 2:48 remaining, converting on a nice feed from Josh Teschke. It was Little’s sixth goal of the series.

Teschke scored in the first period for Mooretown and Jordan Pennesi scored the game-winner the second period.

Willy Vyse had Wallaceburg’s only goal.

Mooretown Flags coach Bruce Aberhart said his team had a little more jump in their game compared to the Lakers.

“I think our kids had a little more fresher legs. We’ve been going four lines all year long and four lines through (the last) five games of the series. I think we might have been a little more fresher,” Aberhart said.

Laker coach Mark Davis was a little more blunt in his assessment.

“It almost seems to me that their guys just wanted it a little more than some of our guys wanted it,” Davis said.

Aberhart said part of the reason for the Flags' success was the play of the Darby McKinnon-Spencer Lightfoot-Nick Kozmin line that shut down the Lakers' top line of Chris Lalonde, Derek Nap and Nash Lozon.

Although Mooretown’s MLK line didn’t score a goal in the series, it shut down Wallaceburg’s big line the last five games of the series.

All three Laker players finished in the top five in league scoring during the regular season, but Nap and Lozon only had one goal in six playoff games. In the last five games of the series, Lalonde only had two even-strength goals.

Aberhart said the line took the challenge of shutting down the Lakers' big line and played with pride.

“That line did a tremendous job in shutting them down,” Aberhart said. “They allowed our other lines to go out and concentrate on scoring goals. They did a real good job.”

Kyle Washer was strong in the Mooretown net, stopping 27 shots for the win.

Mooretown will now advance to the North Division final versus the winner of the Dresden-Blenheim playoff series. Dresden currently leads three games to two.