Vipers complete comeback for Game 4 win against Maroons

The Chatham Maroons now face elimination following a 5-3 loss to the Vipers in GOJHL playoff action on Wednesday in LaSalle.

Joshua Lepain scored his second of the series to put the Maroons up 1-0 at 3:13 of the first with AP Reyth Smith (1) and Matthew Cunningham (1) drawing the assists.

Brayden Degelas picked up his second goal of the series on a power play at the 1:40 mark of the second period, with David Brown (2) and Noah Mathieson (3) picking up the assists.

Mathieson (1) notched his second point of the night on the Maroon’s third goal of the game at 4:11 of the second period, with Owen Sculthorp (1) picking up the lone assist.

The Vipers trailed the Maroons 3-1 going into the third period, however, a shorthanded goal at 4:19 of the final period pulled the Vipers within one. Two minutes and 33 seconds later, LaSalle tied the game on an even-strength goal. Then less than a minute later, the home team took a 4-3 lead on a power play goal.

Chatham had a goal waved off for contact in the crease in the third.

The Vipers completed the comeback win with one final goal at the 13:03 mark, giving them a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven quarter-final series.

Chatham outshot LaSalle 15-9 in the first period, however, the Vipers out-chanced the Maroons 13-12 in the second and 14-13 in the third period.

The Maroons were 1-3 on the power play, while the Vipers were 1-2.

Maroons goaltender Brett Fullerton was tagged with the loss, stopping 31 of LaSalle’s 36 shots.

Game 5 is Friday, March 10 at the Vollmer Culture Recreation Complex in LaSalle. Game time is 7 p.m.

If the Maroons can stave off elimination Friday night, the series returns to Chatham Sunday, March 12 at Memorial Arena.