Belle River Canadiens Win Great Lakes Championship, Sharks Fall in Game 7
After two upsets over the Essex 73s and Wallaceburg Lakers, and then pulling even with the Belle River Canadiens after trailing 3-1 in their best of seven final series, the Wheatley Sharks couldn’t pull off a miracle in game 7 as the Belle River Canadiens captured their second consecutive Great Lakes Championship with a 4-1 win.
“Winning it all last year was special, but doing it again this year is a true testament to our team,” said Belle River head coach Mark Seguin after the game.
The game was played in front of a packed house crowed of more than 1,100, with hundreds being turned away at the door due to fire codes. The two teams traded scoring chances in the first period but goaltenders Marc Tremblay of Wheatley and Andrew Thompson of Belle River stood their ground keeping the score 0-0.
Early in the second period, Wheatley Sharks defenseman Dylan Cosford opened the scoring firing a shot top shelf over Thompson. Minutes later, Belle River answered back as Chris DiNatale, the Canadiens leading scorer in the final series, slammed home a shot. DiNatale was without his typical linemate and set up man Nik Dobrich, who was suspended in game 6 for checking from behind.
Entering the third period knotted at 1-1, it seemed as though the two teams were destined for a third straight overtime, however, the Belle River Canadiens’ experience kicked in and the Wheatley Sharks made several crucial mistakes. Cole Chevalier opened the scoring less than 4-minutes into the third and his team never looked back.
Travis Brown scored again midway through the third period followed by Branden Larocque with less than 5-minutes to go in the game. From there in, the Wheatley Sharks couldn’t generate any offence.
As the final buzzer rang, fans, coaches, players, and family members flooded the ice to celebrate Belle River’s second consecutive Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League title.