Martin Keeps Wheatley's Playoff Hopes Alive With Overtime Winner

Josh Tremblay Breaks in on Andrew Thompson - Photo by Ian Kennedy

It was do or die for the Wheatley Sharks as they faced off against the Belle River Canadiens in game 5 of the Great Lakes Junior C playoffs, and the Sharks did. Minutes into overtime, Jesse Martin and Jordan Carnevale streaked in on a two-on-one as Carnevale slid a nifty pass to Martin who barried a shot by the Canadiens netminder to keep his team’s championship hopes alive.

The game was a fast paced, hard hitting affair that featured end to end action. To open the scoring in the game, Wheatley’s Josh Tremblay potted his first of two goals in the game. Shortly after, Belle River answered back as the dynamic duo of Chris DiNatale and Nik Dobrich connected with DiNatale scoring. Less than 30 seconds later, DiNatale set up Dobrich to put Belle River ahead 2-1.

“We didn’t quit tonight,” said Wheatley Sharks head coach Ken Galerno, “we kept working and it paid off.”

It was Wheatley’s no quit attitude that kept them going in this game. Less than a minute after Belle River took the lead, Dylan Cosford answered back for the Wheatley Sharks tying the game off a feed from Josh Tremblay.

Heading into the third, the game was tied 2-2, with shots also sitting equal at 18-18. Early in the third, the Sharks jumped out to another lead on a gorgeous tip by Tremblay for his second goal of the night off a powerplay point shot from Cosford.

Again on the powerplay, Shawn Quigley popped the water bottle off the top of the net with the Sharks’ second consecutive powerplay marker to put tWheatley Sharks up 4-2.

Belle River, however, wasn’t going to give up without a fight. The Canadiens stormed back to tie the game on a shorthanded marker by Matt Todd and a regular strength goal by Kevin Curridor to send the game to overtime.

Then, only minutes into the extra frame, Martin and Carnevale flew in on an odd man rush to end the game on a controversial goal as the net was knocked off its pegs as the puck crossed the line.

“We didn’t want to sit back in overtime, we wanted to play our game. It’s not over yet though. We’re going to take it one shift, and one period at a time,” said Coach Galerno following the emotional win.

Game 6 takes place Sunday April 3 in Wheatley. Puck drop is at 7:30pm, with the Belle River Canadiens leading the best of seven series 3 games to 2.